Ma Musu’s new location at 3514 Forest Hill Ave. (Photo by Michael Thompson.)
After nearly 20 years in business, a downtown restaurateur has a second location in the works just over the river.
Chef MaMusu’s African-Caribbean Cuisine plans to open April 5 in the former Parkwood Café in Forest Hill. Owner Ida MaMusu last month signed a five-year lease for the 1,350-square-foot space at 3514/3516 Forest Hill Ave.
MaMusu said she’ll spend about $50,000 to get her new restaurant open and that she is financing it herself. It will be a sister restaurant to her spot at 200 E. Main Street, where she’s operated for eight years.
“In Richmond you have to have good food, good service and a decent price,” MaMusu said. “If you have these three things not only will they support you, they will protect you.”
A native of Liberia, MaMusu has been building a following since the 90s for her collards and curry fried chicken wings.
In 1995, she opened her first restaurant at 2043 W. Broad St, where the Savory Grain is today, MaMusu said. Intended mostly as a base for her catering business, it turned into a full-on sit-down restaurant.
She closed the operation in 2005 to find a space downtown, and the next year opened Chef MaMusu’s Africanne on Main as a West African luncheonette.
Unlike her downtown spot, MaMusu’s new venture in Forest Hill will have longer hours to satisfy customer demand and stay open on weekends. There will also be breakfast on Saturday and brunch on Sundays.
“They felt I was depriving them on weekends,” MaMusu said of her customers. “They kept whining.”
MaMusu will look to hire eight people to help run the new location. Currently her sister, aunt and son help her run things downtown.
“It’s a family business, so everyone pitches in,” MaMusu said.
Ma Musu’s new location at 3514 Forest Hill Ave. (Photo by Michael Thompson.)
After nearly 20 years in business, a downtown restaurateur has a second location in the works just over the river.
Chef MaMusu’s African-Caribbean Cuisine plans to open April 5 in the former Parkwood Café in Forest Hill. Owner Ida MaMusu last month signed a five-year lease for the 1,350-square-foot space at 3514/3516 Forest Hill Ave.
MaMusu said she’ll spend about $50,000 to get her new restaurant open and that she is financing it herself. It will be a sister restaurant to her spot at 200 E. Main Street, where she’s operated for eight years.
“In Richmond you have to have good food, good service and a decent price,” MaMusu said. “If you have these three things not only will they support you, they will protect you.”
A native of Liberia, MaMusu has been building a following since the 90s for her collards and curry fried chicken wings.
In 1995, she opened her first restaurant at 2043 W. Broad St, where the Savory Grain is today, MaMusu said. Intended mostly as a base for her catering business, it turned into a full-on sit-down restaurant.
She closed the operation in 2005 to find a space downtown, and the next year opened Chef MaMusu’s Africanne on Main as a West African luncheonette.
Unlike her downtown spot, MaMusu’s new venture in Forest Hill will have longer hours to satisfy customer demand and stay open on weekends. There will also be breakfast on Saturday and brunch on Sundays.
“They felt I was depriving them on weekends,” MaMusu said of her customers. “They kept whining.”
MaMusu will look to hire eight people to help run the new location. Currently her sister, aunt and son help her run things downtown.
“It’s a family business, so everyone pitches in,” MaMusu said.