by Jeroslyn JoVonn
December 6, 2025
With strong community support, Orange County's few Black-owned businesses are thriving as pioneers.
Southern California's Orange County has few Black-owned businesses, but increasing relocation, community support and local advocacy have helped those that remain open thrive in recent years.
Although Black residents make up only about 1.7% of Orange County's population – about 54,000 people – Black representation in Irvine is small but strong. From soul food restaurants in busy shopping districts to the county's only Black-owned winery, these entrepreneurs are carving out space and receiving strong community support.
Take Lynda's African Delicacies for example. The African Restaurant at the Airport Business Center often draws long lines of locals eager to get their orders from the city's best African food haven. Founded by Linda Umaru following the success of her hair braiding and beauty business, she quickly expanded both ventures thanks to strong support from the Irvine community and popularity on TikTok.
@pocketfulofpasta GO SUPPORT! @Lyndas African Delicacies 📍 17951 Sky Park Cir, 35 J, Irvine, CA 92614 We give everything a 10/10 😋😋😋 @Fran.s816 #irvinefoodies #fufu #fufucravings #ocfoodie #fufuandsoup #africandelicacy #nigeriantiktok #foodreview #fyp ♬ Walking Around – instrumental version – Eldar Kedem
A native of Nigeria, Umaru moved to Irvine in 2005 after marrying her husband. When they gave birth to their first child, she chose to stay home rather than pay for daycare and started a hair braiding business to support the family. As she cooked meals for her clients during appointments, she realized there was also a demand for her food. What started in a small, 1,200-square-foot salon quickly expanded—first to 3,500 square feet and now to a 5,000-square-foot braiding salon and beauty shop on Sky Park Circle, just steps from her restaurant.
Lynda's African Delicacies started as a food truck in 2019, but after locals continued to flood their storefronts with orders, Umaru expanded to a brick-and-mortar location in November 2024. She now runs a cozy space near her braiding salon and is already preparing to expand the space to welcome more guests.
“The food is bigger than the hair salon,” Umaru tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “You can't imagine the traffic, people were asking us how to bring African food to Orange County in Irvine. But the first thing that came to mind was what kind of people were coming to my house, and when I gave them that food, there was no barrier for any race to eat that food. And so I realized, 'Okay, this can be a business for us.' And it's just the amount that comes here, it's not even close to Africa. It’s just Orange County people, different races, everyone just loves the food.”
As both businesses thrive, Umaru celebrates and shares the beauty of the African diaspora in Orange County, supports PPE wearers, and serves delicious food to a diverse community.
“When you come into contact with the community and offer them something like this, they go for it,” Umaru said. “They could relate to the food and the community loves it because the ingredients we use in the food are mostly from Nigeria. So we cook it the same way we cook it in Nigeria and people love it.”
@ocfeed @lyndasafricandelicacies – 17951 Sky Park Circle Bldg 35 Suite J, Irvine, California 92614 Authentic African Cuisine – Right Here in Irvine!! This is a unique place – we only have a few African restaurants in Oklahoma and Lynda's is super reputable. Lynda's started in a home kitchen, then morphed into a food truck and now operates a brick-and-mortar operation in a small food center in an office park in Irvine. The menu is simple and has all the classics. Don't leave without fufu, it's a kind of vehicle that you use to actually eat the rest of the food, which is usually cassava. It's starchy, doughy and shouldn't have much flavor – because the rest of the food has it. https://lyndasafricandelicacies.com/menu They have many vegetarian options, of course you have to buy plantains. Get some oxtail, it's nice and tender. A traditional order for anyone trying it for the first time seems to be oxtail fufu and egusi. It's full of spices and properly flavored, with a deep and rich, earthy, savory flavor that you're sure you've never experienced before. Jollof fried rice is also a must. And then there's the red sauce that they slather on everything. Give me a bottle of this so I can take it with me everywhere. SO good. Have you ever tried African food? . . #african #africanfood #irvine #orangecounty ♬ Original sound – Ocfeed
The growing visibility and success of Black-owned businesses in Orange County would not be possible without the tireless work behind the scenes of the Black Chamber of Orange County. For more than 40 years, the Chamber has advocated for business, education and veterans in diverse communities, helping to ensure the strong representation seen in the region's corporate landscape today.
“Orange County has 34 communities, including Irvine. Prior to COVID, the Black Chamber Office was located in Irvine,” the chamber said BLACK COMPANY. “We were at the Orange County Workforce Solutions facility, where the county's mission is to help people and businesses overcome obstacles, achieve their goals, realize their potential and contribute to a thriving region.”
The goal is to build on the county's progress in diversifying its business landscape and remain a reliable resource for future Black-owned businesses in Orange County.
“Access to information is our motto and we are here to help everyone in our ethnic communities improve, expand and grow their businesses,” the chamber said.
Consider Georgia's Restaurant, the only soul food restaurant in the bustling Irvine Spectrum Center. Shoppers of all backgrounds line up to enjoy crispy fried chicken, spicy jambalaya, savory gumbo and honey butter-slathered cornbread—comfort classics that will have diners licking their fingers. Created by Gretchen Shoemaker, the menu honors her childhood cooking alongside her grandmother, making dishes with “all her heart and soul,” as she describes on her website. Now with four locations in Southern California, Georgia's presence in Irvine and nearby Anaheim reflects the growing space for Black-owned businesses in Orange County – and the community support that helps them thrive.
@theladyerika This was my first time trying Georgia's soul food restaurant and the food did not disappoint! #irvinespectrum #georgias #georgiassoulfood @irvinespectrumcenter @Georgia's Restaurant ♬ Doo Wop (That Thing) (Instrumental) – Lauryn Hill
Elsewhere, McClain Cellars is making history as the only Black-owned winery in Orange County. Founded by Jason and Sofia McClain, the couple transformed their shared passion for wine into a full-fledged business that celebrates community, craftsmanship and their own love story. After two decades in the tech world, Jason felt inspired to create something more personal. In July 2016, he and Sofia set out to create exceptional wines from California's best soils – bottles designed to evoke real emotions. Her journey took her up and down the West Coast, exploring vineyards and selecting the perfect wines to build her signature collection. They found Irvine to be the best location to house one of their four Southern California locations.
“McClain Cellars chose Irvine as its headquarters because of the city’s unique business environment and community,” Jason tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “As a center for technology and innovation, Irvine's corporate landscape was a perfect fit for our wine blending and team building events. We saw an opportunity to offer the city a new type of luxury experience, one that blends the craft of winemaking with the entrepreneurial culture of Southern California.”
From their award-winning wines to world-class and unique wine tasting rooms Wine blend experience that McClain Cellars gives guests the opportunity to be a winemaker for a day. In a city not known for its Black representation, McClain Cellars has built a sustainable business while demonstrating the success that comes when given room for ownership.
As the only Black-owned winery in Orange County, McClain Cellars could have faced resistance, but Jason says the local community has been nothing but “welcoming and supportive.”
“People have embraced the concept of having a winery tasting room and event space here in Irvine,” he said. “Feedback on our award-winning wines, customer service and overall atmosphere has been overwhelmingly positive, which has been crucial to our success.”
Now they are proudly building bridges and bringing black excellence to the OK. In addition to being the county's only Black-owned winery, McClain Cellars is expanding its cultural impact through its Black Heroes Collection, a wine series that honors African-American icons such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, the Tuskegee Airmen and Marian Anderson.
“This was a powerful way to share important stories and history with the Irvine community,” Jason said.
The McClains' success underscores the growing opportunities for diverse business owners in Orange County, where an increasingly inclusive approach is helping local entrepreneurs introduce new concepts that bring the community together.
“Our thriving business shows that the Irvine community is open to new ideas and actively seeks to support diverse businesses,” said Jason. “It shows that when you provide a great product and a truly welcoming experience, people respond with open arms, regardless of the business owner's background. This support has been vital and truly underlines Irvine's commitment to creating a vibrant and inclusive city.”
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