Tamara Coleman and Kawauna Gill are two Black women who thrive on shutting down adversity.
They got a permit to launch Kanary Bar, the first and only lounge owned by Black women in Mobile, Alabama.
Based in the downtown entertainment district, the restaurant is a dream come true for its owners.
Early this year, Coleman and Gill bought a vacant building in Downtown Mobile’s North Jackson Street. They stated their intention of turning the building into an upscale lounge and bar.
However, they didn’t get approval as fast as they would have liked. In fact, it took a whopping six months for the Mobile Planning Commission to give them approval.
The commission claimed that this delay was because of some concerns about the lounge’s capacity and operating hours.
When the duo finally got the approval, it came with certain conditions.
For one, Kanary Bar would only stay open until midnight instead of 2:00 a.m. as they had initially planned.
Secondly, even though the building could comfortably hold 300 people, the Mobile Planning Commission limited its maximum capacity to just 179.
These aren’t the only challenges Gill and Coleman faced. For instance, they had racist neighbors who hated the idea of two Black women launching an upscale lounge in their neighborhood.
So, they tried to frustrate the two by challenging their application for a liquor license.
These neighbors sent multiple letters to the city council opposing the location of the bar and demanding that it be relocated to another area like Prichard or MLK.
Some even had the audacity to ask if drugs were involved. They wanted Gill and Coleman to sign a contract that outlines specific business restrictions. Naturally, the pair refused.
Despite all the racism and hate against the two Black women, the city council unanimously approved their application to operate a bar and lounge. The bar will open soon this year, and about time.
