Celebrate the “Sweet Life” with Brooklyn’s finest Black Owned and Woman Owned Restaurants
In honor of National Black Business Month, Bronx, NY native Ka-wana Jefferson, Hospitality Entrepreneur and Co-owner of Sweet Brooklyn Bar, Sweet Catch BK and Lost Borough Ice Cream shares her commitment to creating and co-operating her establishments, and preserving legacy through her entrepreneurial efforts.
Of the roughly 1 million restaurants in the country, about 8 percent are Black-owned, and about 2,800 are owned by Black women, according to 2019 Census information. That’s less than a third of 1 percent of all American restaurants.* “I was inspired by legacy and ownership. I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and once I was close to having a family of my own the desire intensified. As I learned more about the history of this country as an adult and really began to grasp the value in legacy and generational wealth it was clear that the path to obtain that was ownership,” says Ka-wana Jefferson.
Ka-wana and her team will present two celebratory events:
Sweet Brooklyn Bar will celebrate National Rum Day (August 16th);
The seven-year-old bar/lounge will offer all-day Rum based specials on their curated cocktails including:
- MOJITO: Rum, simple syrup, lime, mint, soda float
- OL DUTTY: Caruba dark rum, wray and nephew, falernum, lime
- 608 RUM PUNCH: Light rum, coconut rum, grenadine, pineapple, orange
Get a sneak peek of Ka-wana’s summertime favorites from Sweet Brooklyn Bar!
Sweet Catch BK will celebrate its 1-year anniversary during the week of Fall Equinox (September 21st) with a special week of programming including a cocktail reception, happy hour and dinner promotions. The fast-casual, seafood focused, restaurant is steeped in Ka-wana’s family cultural Southern heritage and located in the heart of Prospect Lefferts Garden neighborhood of Brooklyn.
The coastal meets chic designed, 1,100 square foot restaurant welcomes up to 50 seated guests (in the main dining room and backyard patio). Their signature entree is inspired by seafood boils created by enslaved Africans throughout the South, specifically within the Gullah/Geechee community.
*Statistic provided by Civil Eats
Ka-wana Jefferson Hospitality Entrepreneur & Owner of Sweet Brooklyn Bar, Sweet Catch BK & Lost Borough Ice Cream.
Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Ka-wana graduated from Mercy College (Bachelors of Science in Psychology) and Virginia State University (Master’s of Science in School Psychology). She worked in her respective field of special education for several years and supplemented her income by working within the hospitality industry-specifically performing every restaurant job from bartender to waitress to hostess and more.
Ka-wana traveled between New York City and the South growing her entrepreneurial opportunities until she opened Sweet Brooklyn Bar in 2016 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn and received great response. In less than seven years, she has established Lost Borough IceCream in the heart of downtown Yonkers, NY and Sweet Catch BK, a fast-casual, seafood-focused dine-in restaurant in the Prospect Lefferts Garden neighborhood of Brooklyn, with A desire to open another location outside. Ka-wana has received media coverage from: Brooklyn Magazine, GoodDay New York, New York Business Journal, and other media outlets. She is committed to growing within the hospitality industry as well as giving back to her community through her civic duties as a proud member of delta Sigma Theta sorority and member of the United States Army Reserves. Ka-wana is a proud mother of two sons and resides in New Rochelle, NY.
SOURCE: Ka-wana Jefferson/PRNewswire
