The idea to start a restaurant business came to Junette Ray in a literal dream.

“I went to bed and I dreamt that a man came to me and said I should put a Willy’s Jerk at Kipling and Rexdale. I said I don't have money to open a restaurant, he said go borrow the money and the rest is history,” said Ray.

Ray listened to her dream and met with the owners of Willy’s Jerk in real life. She spent 19 years working for the company and planning behind the scenes to launch her own business eventually. Just before the pandemic, she opened her first Authentic Jamaican Jerk restaurant at Kipling and Rexdale in Toronto. She’s since expanded to open two more Toronto locations: 3125 Dufferin Street and 2516 Eglinton Avenue West.

“The person I saw in my dream, he pointed and said, ‘all that your eyes can see is yours.’ It’s funny because where my business is now located – 2140 Kipling Avenue – is exactly where I had the vision to put the store. It took me seven years to get to this point today, but I'm here by the grace of God,” said Ray.

Opening a restaurant wasn’t easy. She spent thousands of dollars and years on renovations, even selling the space to eventually buy it back. 

Yet, she attributes it all to God’s timing. 

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Her Jamaican roots, growing up and watching her mom cook as a child, really inspired her restaurant style. 

“Right now, I’m cooking exactly how I saw my mom cook growing up. I was a small child, and I didn't want to eat food, but I liked watching her cook. I learned other skills along the way—tips here and there—but really, I'm cooking just how I saw my mom cook—how she washes the meat, how she puts things together, and how she presents,” she said.

Like Ray, Sharon Johnston is celebrating the success of her business. This year, she celebrates 30 years since opening the first Potluck Caribbean Cuisine. She now has a total of 3 locations in Mississauga and one in Waterloo, Ontario.

“I loved cooking from a tender age and I really wanted to expand my love for cooking and my love for people through this restaurant,” said Johnston. 

She prides herself on using the best ingredients, using fresh herbs as the foundation for all her meals – something she pulled from Jamaica.

“You cannot go to a Potluck restaurant and not get jerk. Jerk is the main staple because that's the main staple in Jamaica. Although the decor is minimal in the restaurant, when you walk through, you’ll find a natural environment, wooden furniture, and pictures of beach backgrounds. We're always playing Jamaican music and we want you to feel like you’re really there,” said Johnston. 

Yet, for both restaurant owners, every business comes with challenges – finances and inflation being the main hurdle. 

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“In general one of the main challenges is the constant rise in food costs and being able to maintain affordable meal prices for our customers. To achieve this I have to be strategic in purchasing ingredients by constantly seeking out affordable sale prices but still getting items of the highest quality,” said Johnston.

Ray pointed out that one single bag of rice costs her business $25 as her restaurant also values food quality for their customers. 

Beyond trying to get the right financial support from the bank – or people thinking her husband is the owner, Ray also says managing a team of workers takes a lot of discipline. 

“You have different types of personalities and different personalities can clash, so I keep that in mind. It’s my job to find the right people who want to get things done in the right way,” said Ray.

Luckily, she says her community has been unwavering in their support of her business.

“I was talking to a customer – a guy from Trinidad – and he asked me if I knew how far he travelled just to eat my food. He brought his wife to try it, and they loved it,” said Ray. 

Their advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to be a self-starter, focused and know what you want.

“Make sure you're getting into the right business. When you get into the heat of it, you must do what you love. You can wake me up at any time of the night and ask me to cook something for you, and I wouldn't mind because that's what I love to do,” said Ray.

As for Johnston, she’s working to be a leader in her industry by giving entrepreneurial advice to her staff.

“The restaurant industry is a very difficult one but you have to face the challenges, learn and move on. Keep climbing no matter the obstacles that you may face and seek out new opportunities to grow,” said Johnston.

Over the years, she’s promoted and empowered her female employees by promoting them to franchise owners of her different locations. 

“In the future, I hope to provide an accessible medium to coach young entrepreneurs to fulfill their aspirations, especially in this industry,” she said. 

Both owners plan to continue expanding their businesses and even open more locations.

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“My goal is to have 10 locations in the future. I plan to go to Montreal next year if possible because we have a church there. Each Sunday I give away meals at churches and the community also supports my business. I would also love to buy a small apartment for my staff to live in so they can have somewhere to live close to the store, if they so choose,” said Ray.

Although they’re in the food business, it’s clear that community is the real focus and heart of their mission as business owners. 

“I hope customers can feel safe knowing that they will always get only the best and the healthiest options possible from us. We care about what we feed them and we hope to give them a taste of home,” said Johnston.

“My final message would be to take care of each other. Let’s unite for the better of our community. What we’re doing is a collective initiative. There’s a lot of our ancestors who died for us to be in Canada for free so we will continue to support one another and put our best quality out there,” said Ray.

Authentic Jamaican Jerk and Potluck Caribbean Cuisine are two restaurants you can visit during the Spring Edition of ByBlacks Restaurant Week from May 20 - May 26, 2024. Head to byblacks.com/restaurantweek for more information.