Indigenous Eats, a Spokane-based restaurant known for its celebration of Native American cuisine and culture, has been awarded a $25,000 grant through the inaugural Independent Restaurant Coalition and Chase Innovator Awards.

The $1 million grant program celebrates the ideas, practices, and business models that promote sustainability and environmental innovation.  

Indigenous Eats, a trade name for Slagle Group LLC, was one of 40 establishments nationwide — and the only one in Washington state — to receive the grant. Honorees were chosen for incorporating values such as community impact, civic engagement, workforce well-being, sustainability, local sourcing, and cultural preservation and representation.

"The Innovator Award recipients are building a brighter future for independent restaurants," says Erika Polmar, executive director of the Independent Restaurant Coalition in a press release. "From advancing mental health care and equitable labor models to pioneering zero-waste operations and regenerative sourcing, these leaders are developing bold solutions that push the industry forward."

For Indigenous Eats, those core values are baked into their mission, according to owner Jenny Slagle, a member of the Yakama Nation. The restaurant has cooked up an identity around sharing indigenous food traditions while fostering education, connection, and cultural appreciation.

The grant money will be directly reinvested into the business, with a focus on scaling operations while maintaining the restaurant's core values. Slagle says one key priority is investing into intentional trainings and opportunities for team development. She also wants to shift the narrative and show that business models like Indigenous Eats can be both cultural and innovative.

"We're building something that's bigger than just a restaurant," Slagle says. "It's about community, culture, and creating opportunities that last."

Slagle originally applied for the grant to help support the restaurant's long-term expansion goals, she says. While the long-term vision involves franchising, she emphasizes growth must be measured and intentional.

Founded in 2022, Indigenous Eats currently has two Spokane locations, at 829 E. Boone and 808 W. Main, which provide 14 full-time jobs. The restaurant recently added a food trailer. Slagle says she wants to expand to more locations eventually.

In 2025, the company passed $1 million in sales for the first time since being founded, and Slagle says she expects that growth trend to continue.    

"The ultimate goal is to franchise, but we have to build one step at a time," she says. "We can't outpace the current growth."

That approach has already led to smaller expansion points, such as the addition of the food trailer. The main purpose of the mobile unit is to serve the surrounding Native communities and support events such as pow-wows and rodeos. Slagle says the trailer is also useful as a marketing tool, by raising brand awareness in regional communities.

Slagle says she first learned about the grant opportunity through workforce development organizations, and the program immediately stood out as a strong fit for her. It was aligned with company goals, she says, and the whole idea was about more than the money for her.

"It's very meaningful to me because of what it represents for the Native culture and community," she says. "What we're building matters, and I am proud of that."

The Independent Restaurant Coalition formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help advocate for small and independent food businesses, and launched the Innovator Awards to spotlight restaurants leading in areas such as sustainability, equitable workplaces, and community engagement. The initiative aims to support businesses that are economically viable and socially impactful.