Business
Meet Mawa McQueen, the Ivory Coast Native Behind Aspen's Only Black-Owned Restaurants By Atiya Jordan Black Enterprise; Ruksana Hussain Cuisine Noire Articles combined by Dawn Editors WHEN CHEF MAWA MCQUEEN, founder of Mawa’s Kitchen in Aspen and The Crepe Shack in Snowmass Village, both in Colorado, had to restrict business operations as the pandemic intensified last year, little did she know she’d be launching a new organic snack brand: Mawa’s GrainFreeNola (MGFN). Unlike most granolas made with oats, grains and sugar, MGFN is organic, paleo, vegan and glutenfree. McQueen first began making the snack for personal consumption, prepping small batches at home, and only selling the excess at her restaurant. What she hadn’t been paying attention to would be the popularity MGFN had gained in that time – it ended up being her sustenance during the shutdowns in more ways than one. Global Flavors “Each continent, culture and tribe across the world tells a story and provides unique nutrients to energize and heal,” says McQueen, who was born in Ivory Coast and raised in Paris, where she went to culinary school. The business owner also lived in England, Spain, and a few other places, before calling Colorado home. “Our granola brings together these ingredients. Every batch is sourced with intention and made with love.” She attributes MGFN’s success to the synergy found in food that’s made by hand rather than that made commercially by machine. “I mix everything by hand, chop everything. It’s like therapy for me,” she shares. There are five flavors to choose from at the moment —Berry Me, Green Machine, Health Nut, Out of Africa, and Tropical Paradise—and some of the organic ingredients include hibiscus flower, Turkish figs, cocoa nib and tamarind. McQueen has plans for other future variations, including a nut-free option and one made with 26
January-February 2022
fonio, a West African heritage grain. Products are sold online on her website, where all ingredients are clearly stated, and McQueen hopes to have all of them more widely available by the summer (2021). “People assume because I look a certain way, I should cook a certain way. Most times they go to my husband or sous chef to talk to them [about the food], but I ignore it,” says McQueen, talking about the common perception that given she is Black, it is expected that she makes soul food. “But I wasn’t raised on that. The Journey Mawa McQueen’s journey extends far beyond her migration to the United States. Aspen, CO, was where she would settle and establish her Ivory Coast and French roots as a creator in the kitchen. McQueen opened Mawa’s Kitchen nearly 12 years ago, having expanded from a traditional breakfast and lunch spot to a full-fledged restaurant. Culturally-inspired dishes range from a Thai noodle salad to handmade Middle Eastern dips for reasonable prices. At Mawa’s Kitchen, the winter dinner menu includes currently includes ricotta and zaalouk (eggplant and tomatoes) and Lyonnaise potatoes, while The Crepe Shack fulfills any longing for sweet or savory crepes. Born in the Ivory Coast, the restauranteur resided in France for many years. She recalled her ambitions of moving to the United States in an interview with Travel Noire. “I saw a romantic scene on the soap opera The Young and The Restless that was in Aspen, and it made me want to move there one day,” McQueen said. “That was where Aspen started for me.” After taking the leap to the United States, McQueen found employment working in hospitality DAWN
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