Call it the Yelp for black people. Around The Way, a new iOS app for finding local businesses, specializes in a certain kind of business in particular— those owned and operated by African Americans.
Whether you're looking for a barber, a restaurant or doctor, Around the Way will track your location and find the nearest black-owned business that matches your query. The app is operational in all 50 states, but its directory of businesses is still in the early stages of development. It's currently most useful in densely populated areas like New York and Washington D.C. Black business owners can add their business to the app using the company's website.
“Other ethnic groups have been supporting their own businesses literally for thousands of years,” Eric Hamilton, chief marketing officer and co-founder of Around The Way said in a recent interview with The North Star News. “Around The Way is our attempt at doing what other ethnic and racial groups have been doing for a long time.”
It'll be interesting to see whether Around the Way can lure enough users, and businesses, to create a useful and sustainable ecosystem. It's currently an iOS exclusive, but an Android version is planned for early next year.
