A few black-owned restaurants in Baltimore, Maryland, are getting some shine thanks to the efforts of one restauranteur, The Baltimore Sun reports.

Casey Jenkins started the Black Restaurant Challenge last year to spark interest in the black-owned restaurants that have popped up in Baltimore. Jenkins’ inspiration came from the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge, which had people dousing themselves with ice water for ALS awareness.

“I said, ‘Look at all these people dumping buckets on their head. We should do a black restaurant challenge,’” Jenkins said of the restaurant challenge, which will run Feb. 2–25.

The citizens of Baltimore are encouraged to eat at two black-owned eateries per week during that period, and to share photos of the dishes they sample on social media. In exchange for the extra patronage, participating businesses will offer discounts and specials.

Last year, Jenkins said the response wasn't as strong as he'd hoped, but, this year, he began preparations early, and his hard work has paid off.

Tickets for a free kick-off party disappeared with 30 minutes of becoming available. On Facebook, more than 4,000 people have marked that they plan to attend, with 44,000 people saying they'd like to go.

“There’s no way that I thought it would be as popular as it has been,” Jenkins said.

If you will be in Baltimore in February and would like to participate in the challenge, a full list of participating restaurants is available on the Black Restaurant Challenge's website.

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