Garifuna Flava Caribbean Restaurant
Contestant Details
A Cultural Experience Through Food & Music
About Garifuna flava caribbean restaurant
Year Participated
2022
Status
Semifinalist
Watch their Semifinalist Pitch Here!
My wife Yolanda and I have always been passionate about our culture. We have been local ambassadors for Belizean education, Garifuna events, and cultural awareness ever since immigrated to Chicago in the late 1980s. We participated in events at local museums like the Field Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry, Northwestern University, Old Town School of Music, DePaul University and others, showcasing our culture and participating in educational gatherings.
The natural next step for us was to open a business that allowed our local community to learn about our rich culture through food and music. When we first opened up Garifuna Flava, almost none of our customers knew anything about Belize, Central America, or Garifuna people. We are proud to say that 14 years later, so many more people are familiar with Belize, and many of our customers take trips to Belize thanks to experiencing a piece of it through us. We've fed everyone from Chicago Mayors to Illinois Governors to many corporations and non-profit organizations throughout the City and County, just from our small kitchen on the South Side Chicago Lawn neighborhood.
Our customers have come from almost every state in America, venturing to this multicultural area to learn about what this part of Chicago has to offer. From the visuals of Dangriga Belize on our walls, to the cultural music from our tiny towns in Belize, to our unique cuisine, we provide a cultural and educational experience for our customers.