Slim+Husky’s Pizza Beeria is a culinary experience of urban culture.
“We really wanted to bring something to the African American community that everyone could enjoy,” said co-owner Clint Gray.
The menu offers pizza and beer, served to a soundtrack of hip-hop.
“These brothers got a dream, and they brought it together,” said customer William Hinesmon.
This unique business and brand was started by three friends who are college graduates from Tennessee State University.
“It just speaks on us being enlightened and us being understanding of our position of our responsibility,” said Emanuel Reed, who is known as Slim.
Former college football players, Gray and Derek Moore provide the husk. They’re using some of the lessons that they learned while playing ball for the TSU Tigers to help build their business and improve their surroundings.
“We learned a lot about sticking together through adversity, which is probably the major thing that we do great as a partnership,” Gray said.
Slim+Husky’s started in 2015 with a dozen employees in one store. Today, it’s grown to more than 200 employees in eight locations, including California, Georgia and Tennessee.
“That says something about the work that we put in to the business and also just how our community embraces what we do and how we do it,” Moore said.
Slim+Husky’s flagship restaurant is located in north Nashville, Tennessee, an area without many job opportunities.
Employee Branealious Boyd says working there provides options that she never had.
“It inspires me to do more for my culture to make sure everyone is OK,” she said.
Customers there say they can taste the quality ingredients in every bite and are inspired by the hustle.
“I’m definitely proud for any African Americans that go in for their goals, go in for their dreams,” Hinesmon said. “That’s how we’re going start building that generational wealth.”
For the business owners, Slim+Husky’s is about more than making money, it’s about serving others while inspiring the next generation of young, Black entrepreneurs.
“We just want to show the power of what our overall mission is and that is to build and self-empower our communities across the world,” Gray said.