Adriane Ferguson

Adriane Ferguson, a Harlem native, embodies the belief, “You can accomplish anything by affirming who you are and doing what you love.” Her love for community has led her to own and operate her restaurant on 119th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue for 20 remarkable years. Ferguson’s culinary journey started when she hosted a New Year’s Eve event at her home with nearly 200 guests. This led her to leave an 18-year career in the U.S. Postal Service to pursue her true passion. Billie’s Black, a soul-food-style restaurant named after her mother, opened in Harlem during Pride week in June 2006. After a decade of success and the loss of her father, Ferguson rebranded the space as B² Harlem, an upscale seafood spot with a touch of soul food. Today, her restaurant is known as The Nephew Supper Club, and over the years, Ferguson’s commitment to supporting her community has never wavered. She’s hosted countless LGBTQ+ events, drag shows, and HIV awareness sessions. Ferguson says the most rewarding part of her work is “creating a safe haven for the community to gather and be an inspiration of what a positive reality can look like.” The Nephew Supper Club does that even down to its name, which Ferguson tells GO is “an endearing term of what I have been to generationally transplanted gay men in NYC. To Harlem, I’m the ‘auntie.’” What motto has kept her going through change and challenges? Ferguson says, “Keep moving!” – SS