San Diego businesses collaborate to raise money for black youth

The owner of Spill the Beans Coffee and Smoking Gun in downtown San Diego is adding pudding to his menu for Black History Month.

Extraordinary Banana Pudding has been in La Mesa for two years now.

ABC 10News met Owner Toran Grays when he first opened his shop at the start of the pandemic. He says it’s been growing ever since.

ABC 10News

“I had astronomical numbers my first year in business,” Grays said.

It’s probably because Grays uses his great grandma’s recipe and makes every pudding himself.

“The taste, the flavor, something very unique for sure,” Grays said.

Customers agree, and so does Randy Wagener, another local business owner.

“When I came in with my kid and my family, the service he provided us was above and beyond memorable," Wagener said. "When you have the actual pudding, it’s mind-blowing how good it is.”

Wagener decided to sell the pudding at his cafe and restaurant downtown. For every pudding sold, the duo agreed to donate one dollar each to the Blue Heart Foundation . That’s a nonprofit that’s dedicated to underserved African American youth in San Diego.

“The goal out of this is obviously to raise money for the Blue Heart Foundation and to support a local black business,” Wagener said.

If you want to try a taste for yourself, the pudding will be here for the rest of the month.