7 minute read
Business
Jason Miskiri: From Basketball Player to Restaurant Owner
James Wright WI Staff Writer
Jason Miskiri knows when people hear his name, they think of a basketball player who rose through the ranks to the professional level but presently, he wants to be known as the owner of quality restaurants located in his hometown of Silver Spring, Md.
“I played basketball for many years and the sport has been good to me,” Miskiri said. “But now, I want people to come into my restaurants and enjoy the food and the atmosphere.”
Miskiri played basketball at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Montgomery College for his freshman and sophomore years, his junior and senior years at George Mason University, had a brief stint in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets and other professional teams throughout the country. While honing his basketball skills, Miskiri would cook food from his native Guyana for his family and friends. His love of food and socializing led to the founding of the JKJ Hospitality Group in 2011 that includes The Society Restaurant & Lounge and seven weeks ago, the opening of The Angry Jerk, an eatery that specializes in Caribbean food. Both restaurants are located in downtown Silver Spring and are within a few yards of each other on the same block. Miskiri said he will open up another establishment, The Breakfast Club, in the same area in a few months.
THE ANGRY JERK
Miskiri said he started The Angry Jerk out of his love for Caribbean food. The name, he said, has a specific purpose.
“I thought about a name that
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August 30, 2021
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5 Jason Miskiri owns The Angry Jerk located in downtown Silver Spring. (James Wright/The Washington Informer)
would be catchy,” he said. “I thought it would stand out among the Caribbean restaurants that are in the area. I also wanted to emphasize jerk food, which is popular in this area. When you add peppers to jerk food, you can say the food becomes angry and that makes it better.”
Miskiri said the richness of Caribbean food with its many herbs and spices “makes for an incredible dining experience.” The Angry Jerk’s menu offers its customers such items as jerk chicken, brown stew chicken with roasted carrots and gravy, jerk salmon, jerk or fried snapper, tacos, salads, rice dishes and slaws, plantains, yucca, macaroni and cheese and roti doe. Sauces to go along with the main items include barbecue and mambo. Customers can carry-out or dine-in their orders.
“While it is the food that I love, it is really helping people that drives me,” Miskiri said. “In order to have a successful restaurant, you have to like being around and being with people.”
Miskiri said he has faced challenges other Black entrepreneurs have had to endure, such as getting a prime location for his businesses.
“When I came here in 2011 with The Society restaurant, there was nothing in this area,” Miskiri said. “Now you look at it. There are buildings going up everywhere. The foot traffic in this area has increased significantly.”
MISKIRI’S FUTURE
Miskiri said he wants to expand his restaurant holdings to about 20 within the next five years. He said the Washington metropolitan area will be the main target but won’t rule out going to other cities.
“I would not mind having a restaurant in Baltimore,” he said. “I love Baltimore.”
Whatever plans he has, Miskiri said his sister Samantha and a friend who owns Green OwL Design in Hyattsville, will be part of his future.
Miskiri said maintaining his businesses keeps him going constantly.
“There was a time last month when I only got seven hours of sleep for 48 hours,” he said. “But this is what has to be done to be successful. I employ about 100 people and I work more hours than they do. But I don’t see it as work because I love what I do.”
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Howard University Announces Debt Relief for Some Upperclassmen
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
Amid ongoing uncertainty about COVID, some Howard University students learned that they would have one less issue to worry about this semester as they make the transition back to campus.
On the evening of Aug. 30, officials announced that the university eliminated the outstanding debt that some juniors and seniors incurred during the spring semester.
The Informer wasn’t able to determine how many students received the credit or the total amount spent by the university.
The credit, designated as “HU COVID Need Support,” stands as the most recent of Howard’s efforts to assist students who’ve suffered financial hardship throughout the pandemic.
Students who qualified had an expected family contribution of $0. The university’s announcement hinted at assistance for more students in the coming weeks.
Howard followed in the footsteps of universities, particularly those serving Black students, that have cancelled student debt this year. For instance, Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark. and Wilberforce University in Ohio counted among more than 20 historically Black colleges and universities that wiped out the balances owed by 2020 and 2021 graduates.
In the District, Trinity Washington University cleared $2.3 million in balances for more than 500 graduates in July. This happened as the White House and congressional lawmakers remained immersed in discussions about wiping out federal student loans, and the Biden administration championed loan forgiveness for certain populations.
Schools wiping out loans, not to be confused with the cancellation of loans owed to banks or the federal government, happened, in part, because of funds allocated to higher education institutions in the American Rescue Plan.
Since the pandemic started, Howard has doled out more than $27 million in direct cash payments, waived fees, emergency housing and meal assistance and other supportive services. In a statement, Howard University President Wayne A.I Frederick recognized students who weathered an 18-month storm.
“I am...thankful for the perseverance exhibited by these and all students who have persisted in their educational journey despite difficult circumstances,” said Frederick.
“We take our responsibility to our community and to all those who place their trust in us for their education or employment very seriously. Howard will always devote as much of our resources as we can to minimize the challenges our faculty, staff and students encounter.”
More information about “HU Covid Need Support” to come in a future article. If you are a student who received this type of assistance from Howard University, please email Sam P.K. Collins at scollins@washingtoninformer.com.
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The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) is soliciting Offers from qualified firms to provide for Pest and Animal Control Services. Interested parties can view a copy of the Invitation For Bids (IFB) by accessing the Event DC’s E-procurement website at www.wcsapex.com and opening APEX BID # 21-S-011-703.
Key Dates: IFB Release Date: Friday, August 27, 2021 Pre-Proposal Conference (Optional): 11:00 A.M. EST, Tuesday, September 7, 2021 IFB Questions Due Date: 5:00 P.M. EST, Friday, September 17, 2021
IFB Response Due Date: 3:00 P.M. EST, Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Point of Contact: Briana Vaden, 202-369-1292 (bvaden@eventsdc.com)
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The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) is soliciting Offers from qualified firms to provide for Surface Refinishing and Restoration Services. Interested parties can view a copy of the Invitation For Bids (IFB) by accessing the Event DC’s E-procurement website at www.wcsapex.com and opening APEX BID # 21-S-011-705.
Key Dates:
Available Date: September 2, 2021 Pre-Bid Conference: 11:00 A.M. EST, Tuesday, September 14, 2021 IFB Questions Due Date: 5:00 P.M. EST, Friday, September 24, 2021 IFB Response Due Date: 3:00 P.M. EST, Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Point of Contact: Briana Vaden, 202-369-1292 (bvaden@eventsdc.com)
