Que Wimberly opened The Missing Brick determined to create her own, unique style of pizza. She calls it “Indy sytle,” Distinct from Chicago or New York style pizza, The Missing Brick creates artful, culinary creations on top of a pizza. The flavors are not only distinct but many of the ingredients are sourced from other Black owned businesses. The blacker the pizza, the better it recycles Black dollars.
Wimberly sources many of her ingredients from other Black owned businesses in the area. Brisket from Hank’s Smoked Briskets is used to make The Wood Stock, which also features a two-Cheese blend and drizzle in barbecue sauce. The Missing Brick’s number one seller, however, is The Trap Pizza. As Wimberly told CBS 4 Indianapolis, “It’s got 8 jumbo shrimp, lump crab, and then we use the ‘OG Trap Buttah’ sauce that is manufactured by Chef Oya all over the pizza so what you get is a seafood boil on the pizza.” The Chef Oya Wimberly referenced is the owner of The Trap Seafood, the first restaurant Wimberly collaborated with.
The Missing Brick is a tasty example of what cooperative economics looks like in action. Surely they could source ingredients from anywhere but in an effort to recycle dollars back into the community, the company seeks out other Black owned companies to support. Those purchasing decisions, daily, help The Missing Brick create the best product possible but also provides a boost to other Black restaurants. Rather than see them as competition, however, Wimberly chooses to focus on how the success of other Black restaurants ultimately lifts the larger community and that decision has only increased the success of her business. Coalition beats competition, always.
The Missing Brick also offers more traditional style pizzas along with salads and other treats. The company offers great food and a good vibe but more than anything, The Missing Brick is a powerful testimony of the power of cooperative economics. The company is modeling what should be the norm– Black businesses buying from and trading with other Black businesses. If you own a carwash, seek out Black companies that sell soap. If you run an insurance agency, seek out a Black janitorial company to clean your office. Every dollar recycled represents freedom gained.
About Post Author
