Nationwide grant program is helping 3 Black chefs elevate their Chicago restaurants

Quinton McNair, an Army veteran and owner of Strugglebeard Bakery, presents some of his baked goods in his Hyde Park location. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times)

During the pandemic, Quinton McNair was pursuing two goals: Grow out his beard and perfect his baking skills.

“The beard was struggling,” said McNair, 47, a recently retired Army veteran who lives in Matteson.