How This Brooklyn Restaurant Blazed a Trail for Caribbean Fine Dining

Kevol and Ria Graham, the husband-and-wife team behind the authentic Caribbean and Jamaican restaurant Kokomo in Brooklyn. They join the show to discuss the state of the Caribbean restaurant scene in NYC, opening at the onset of the pandemic, and balancing their family and personal lives with running the business. In this conversation, we explore their Caribbean roots and exciting menu, how they utilized vulnerability on social media to build a passionate audience, and their plans for the future of Kokomo.https://www.thenycalliance.org/https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/ 0:00 - Intro0:30 - The vision behind Kokomo3:35 - The Caribbean restaurant scene in NYC7:41 - Opening Kokomo during the pandemic15:35 - Applying lessons from other careers to the restaurant business19:00 - Hiring for a new restaurant21:12 - Storytelling and connecting with customers24:00 - Balancing personal life and running a restaurant29:16 - The biggest challenges of operating a restaurant36:39 - Utilizing social media to share the struggles of running the business42:00 - The state of the NYC restaurant industry46:26 - What have Kev and Ria done most successfully at Kokomo?48:04 - The must-haves on the Kokomo menu51:05 - What’s next for Kokomo?#newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness