It all began with a random question on Instagram: “How many black-owned businesses are there in West Hollywood? WEHOville didn’t have the answer. So we asked our readers.
You, dear readers, opened our eyes to the very vibrant community of Black business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators here in West Hollywood. They are hard workers with big dreams, and they share a common, unshakeable determination.
The diversity of their businesses is equally impressive — from hair salons to coffee shops to exclusive dog spas to television networks.
Though Black people make up a tiny portion of WeHo’s resident population — just 3.6 percent — the city has tried to prioritize them as part of its goals for greater inclusivity. City Council has spent years searching for ways to foster BIPOC (black/indigenous/people of color) businesses, but many people, including Jonathan Wilson, former chair of the city’s Social Justice Taskforce, say it’s not enough.
“I just don’t think that BIPOC people are are necessarily benefitting from from any of the initiatives that happened for the past 38 years,” Wilson said. “I do think on the other hand that some of the recommendations that we’re actually asking for I think may actually help bring about change. For example, I think having the Business License Commission add to the initial registration optional information about whether or not the business is Black-owned. It’s not necessarily say that we’re going to treat them any differently but to help them think about it and at least recognize that they have it. Asking the question can be good enough to help people.”
In honor of Black History Month, WEHOville is shining a spotlight onto the city’s Black business owners, their struggles and their successes. We hope this exposure raises awareness and inspires other young people of color to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams in WeHo.
JOSH WHITE — Owner of Dogue Spa
“There aren’t many black-owned businesses in West Hollywood,” said Josh White, owner of Dogue Spa (rhymes with vogue). “People are rooting for us.”
Josh always knew he wanted to start his dog salon in WeHo.
“Location was the main factor,” he said. “We were looking all over West Hollywood, Studio City, and a few other areas, and we were lucky enough to find this spot, which worked out perfectly.”
In the beginning, Josh — who was born in Illinois — worried that he wouldn’t fit in.
“I was afraid coming into West Hollywood at first being this black guy with tattoos, piercings, dress crazy, and I never knew if people would take my work or my aesthetic seriously,” he said. “And the whole neighborhood just took me with like open arms.”
He doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about himself as a Black business owner in a mostly White town.
“I never felt that it was different or weird being Black (in WeHo),” he said. “I never really think about it until moments like this.”
He recalls only a handful of uncomfortable encounters where his race came into play.
“When we started listing ourselves as a Black-owned business on Yelp, some people had a weird reaction to that,” he said. “I had a woman call and set up an appointment. She was very nice at first, but then she asked why we listed ourselves as a Black-owned business. I explained that I am black and I own the business, but she felt it was unfair. Some people thought it meant only Black people could come to our business, but that’s not the case.”
His main piece of advice for those who want to start a business in WeHo? Don’t take out any loans.
“Do your research and save a lot of money. We just saved up really crazy for about a year and some change.”
Josh and his business partner Medhi Rezig saved about $80,000 to start Dogue Spa, he said.
“And I mean, you could take out a loan but you’re gonna be paying that back when you start making money and you’re gonna not make money for a longer period of time, depending on the business. But I’ll just say, be passionate and love what you do and, you know, great customer service and, you know, be great for the community.”
Next, we’ll introduce you to Wali Muhammad III of Dubbs Coffee and Flo Witherspoon of Taylor Rose Salon. Stay tuned for more profiles of Black business owners throughout the month only on WEHOville.com!
If you really want to shine a light on them, perhaps give the address?
Looking I see that they are right next to Pura Vita. I’ve seen the owner walking his dog all over the neighborhood and she always makes me smile. I don’t have a pet but I stopped in to say hello and welcome to the neighborhood and will tell my pet parent neighbors about them. They seem very nice.
anytime I see lists like this it makes me avoid any businesses bc of the unnecessary pandering
This is Black History Month, people.
How many straight owned business do we have here?
Will people ever look at each other and not see any color of a person, that they are just another person.
What about WASP owners of businesses? How many WASP owners are there in West Hollywood?