Beyoncé donates £8,000 to restaurant struggling to pay rising energy bills
Beyoncé surprised a struggling restaurant with an £8,000 donation.
Queen Bey surprised the owners of Chuku’s, a Nigerian tapas restaurant in Tottenham, north London, with the incredible gift.
As part of the ‘Break My Soul’ singer’s Renaissance World Tour, Beyonce’s BeyGood foundation pledged to donate a share of $1 million (£806,000) to ten business in cities across the world.
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Beyoncé recently touched down in London for five consecutive shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May and June.
Chuku’s established an impressive following since opening in 2020, and they faced difficult times after launching during the pandemic, including rising energy bills.
The restaurant is owned by brother-and-sister duo, Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederik.
After setting themselves the challenge of getting 600 bookings in six weeks at the end of last year, they managed to get an incredible 801.
And the donation from the Grammy Award winning artist has given them another huge boost.
The grant was awarded during the Black Parade Small Business Impact Luncheon held at the Four Seasons in Tower Hill, London.
With over 400 applicants, the win was a huge moment for the business owners.
“This grant couldn’t be more welcome,” Emeka said via Mail Online.
“Chuku’s, like other restaurants that don’t have a financial reserve, has been battered by lockdowns and the cost of living crisis.
“Every day, we’re fighting to stay open to make it to our fourth birthday. This money will make that fight a little easier and allow us to continue celebrating Nigerian culture on Tottenham’s High Road for the time being.”
Ifeyinwa said: ‘I still can’t quite believe that Beyoncé has backed our restaurant - it feels a bit surreal.
"We’d already felt her impact when she was in town and concertgoers chose Chuku’s for their pre-gig meal, but this is a whole other level.’
And in case you were wondering if Queen Bey has tasted the restaurant's food herself, the restaurateurs aren't sure themselves.
"We never knew [if] anyone came for a takeaway or had the food on the sly. I think it was about what we put in our application," Ifeyinwa told The Times.
In other news, Beyoncé appeared to say 'oh my God!' as she shook her head after her crew missed a major cue during one of her shows.
The 41-year-old pop icon did not look pleased during the final song on the Renaissance World Tour show in Amsterdam on Sunday (18 June).
Beyoncé had a pretty clear reaction to what looked like a massive prop blunder and her fans are going wild for it online.
Find out more about Chuku’s here.
Topics: Beyonce, Music, Food and Drink
Gregory Robinson