A directory that shows its receipts

Most Black-owned business lists are a blog post from 2020 with no addresses and half the links dead. This one is built like a database and maintained like one.

Three checks before a page goes live

1. A public source names the business as Black-owned. Local publications and community directories such as ForTheCultureSTL and Ladue News. The source is linked on every page.
2. An operating Google Business Profile matches it. That gives us the address, phone, hours and photos, and tells us when a place closes so we can remove it.
3. The owner can verify. Claiming requires an email that matches the business website or Google profile. Verified pages get a green badge.

What we never do

• We never guess ownership from a name, a photo or a neighborhood.
• We never sell positions on ranked best-of lists. Featured placement only affects category and city pages and is always labeled.
• We never invent reviews, ratings or descriptions. Ratings are Google's, attributed. Descriptions are the owner's or the source's.
• We never share owner emails with sponsors.

Who runs it

Black Owned Main Street is built and run by MyriadLabs, a St. Louis software studio. The directory started with St. Louis because it is home. More cities follow the same three checks.

Mistakes

If a listing is wrong, closed, or not Black-owned, tell us. Removal requests from an owner are handled within two business days.