IN THE NEWS

Johnson and renowned chef and restaurateur Onwuachi launched the event in 2021 to celebrate diversity in the culinary and hospitality communities. Since then, the four-day event has become a pilgrimage for the mostly Black attendees who travel from as far as California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Florida, and Texas.

A little more than an hour outside of Washington, DC, an annual summer gathering of who's who in the food and beverage industry takes place at the Forbes Five-Star Salamander Resort in Middleburg, Virginia.

For those attending The Family Reunion at the Salamander Middleburg, the instructions are clear: come as friends, leave as family.

Two different segments of hospitality intersected last weekend when the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Va., hosted the fourth annual Family Reunion through a partnership with Kwame Onwuachi, the chef behind notable restaurants in Washington, D.C. and New York City.

Dōgon is the newest collaboration between close friends Onwuachi and Johnson, founder and CEO of the Salamander hotels.

The highly-anticipated culinary and entertainment extravaganza returns August 15 -18 to Salamander Resort and Spa in Middleburg, Virginia. 

Set against the backdrop of the sprawling 340-acre Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, the event boasts numerous activities, from hands-on cooking demonstrations to insightful breakout sessions on culinary business management.

At his new Afro-Caribbean restaurant Dōgon (pronounced “Doh-gon”), opening at the foot of the 373-room Salamander Washington DC on Monday, September 9, Onwuachi pays homage to D.C.’s legendary land surveyor Benjamin Banneker and his ancestral ties to the Dōgon tribe.

These Black-owned hotels and resorts offer a welcoming environment where you can enjoy safety, respect, and budget-friendly comfort.