A ribbon-cutting ceremony with a special invited guest, Mayor Ras Baraka, to introduce the 3rd restaurant location of the Swahili Village brand. With every store opening there is always a delegate, diplomat or head of state to cut the ribbon to signify the importance of this restaurant’s mission; which is to become a meeting place for experiencing authentic African cuisine, indulging in African entertainment and integrating with the development and growth of immediate communities.
There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony, food tasting from the updated menu, wine tasting from the new South African wine collection and LIVE entertainment from a globally known and traveling Kenyan DJ and musician. This is expected to be a cocktail style event with invited guests that are dignitaries, delegates, statesmen, corporate executives, local business owners, partners and traveling or local customers and supporters of Swahili Village.
Media Contact:
Name: Ike Nwaneri
Phone: 571.420.6450Email address: ike@swahilivillages.com
To join the press list or be a photographer:
Send your fullname, company name/media outlet to marketing@swahilivillages.com
EVENT DETAILS AND PRESS RELEASE BELOW
Swahili Village Restaurant brings new African Fine Dining concept to the city of Newark, New Jersey
Newark, NJ– June 8, 2022 – This ribbon cutting event, with special guest, the Mayor of Newark, Ras J. Baraka cutting the ribbon, is welcoming the distinguished councilmen, city leaders, business owners, city workers and residents of Newark to prepare themselves for a new flavor of African cuisine in town. This event will feature tastings from the new updated menu, live entertainment from locals and power networking with important leaders of the city. Kevin Onyona, the founder and CEO of Swahili Village, is on his 3rd restaurant location, following the first location in the state of Maryland and the second location in Washington DC. This 3rd location will be located in the heart of the city on 2 center street, Newark, New Jersey. Right across from the globally known New Jersey Performing Arts Center NJPAC.
Special Appreciation
Kevin Onyona and Swahili Village are extremely grateful to every individual, organization, entity, delegate and official, that has played a great role in making this 3rd location a reality and success. The following are a special list worthy of mentioning: Mayor Ras Baraka, the City of Newark, Carl Dranoff, Dranoff properties, Swahili operational team led by Emad Shoeb, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Greater Newark Convention and Visitors bureau, NewarkHappening.com, Ricardo Salazar, ABC Department – Diana Jarrell, Sharif Alberta and Rasul Sharif (Liquor License), Reed Builders, Mark Kibutu, Dwayne Graham, Teddy Fannoh, Fred Odhiambo, David Sandler, Dwight H. Simon Day Esq., Tara Robinson & Melvin Sykes (Realtors), Eric Pennington & Kecia Daniels (City of Newark Business dept.), Mike Wilson (Health Department), TRYP Hotel and the staff of TRYP hotel, Miles Berger, Shah Deen, the Ambassador – Permanent mission of Kenya to the UN in New York, Jan Du Plain Enterprises, Washington Diplomat.
When you visit this new location and any Swahili Village restaurant location, you are promised:
Food – A delicious and healthy, “freshly prepared” curated growing menu, inspired from different parts of Africa starting with the East African cuisine. Presentation of our food is intentionally designed with the contrast between the food colors and the plates served in. There is a “fusion” of flavorful spices from different parts of the world to satisfy all types of guests that dine with us.
Music and entertainment – intentionally selected music and entertainment, that will indulge your senses and expose you to the world’s largest medley of musical entertainment. Artificial intelligence and technological advancement has been integrated to elevate your sound experience in every location.
Ambiance – The design, lighting, artwork and seating are designed to transport you to the motherland as you walk into its doors. With 197 different warm color options and settings, your mood would be transformed for the better as you spend time within the restaurant location through the day.
Service – Expect a fine dining, 5-star treatment throughout your dining experience, from the moment you walk into the doors, until you get back to your valet parked vehicles. This is the “True African Hospitality” within our culture, which originates from the hospitality we present to guests in our homes back in Africa.
About Swahili Village
Swahili Village is a blend of great tasting African cuisine, African music entertainment and a fine dining service. Specialties include starters, entrees, dessert, lunch and happy hour afterwork specials. African brunch is served on Sundays from 11am until 5pm. Cocktails, frozen drinks and other libations are curated quarterly to connect visitors and guests to authentic motherland experiences and landmarks. Meats include goat (the go-to meat of most African countries), beef and chicken. Even though salmon and tilapia are served as fillets, there is a wholefish menu including the red snapper and the wholefish tilapia. There is also a tasty array of cultural appetizers and sides. We have the crunchy, meat or veggie stuffed samosas, and the “bhajia” which is a potato and lentil flour butter mix that after being infused with chopped bell peppers and seasoned, is then deep fried. The sausages, sweet plantains, popular jollof rice and pilau rice are also top sellers on our menu with raving reviews. Our popular carb is the “ugali” that is commonly eaten by hand and served with collard greens, spinach or other vegetable options within the menu.
As Tom Sietsema, a nationwide food critic, reviewed and said in the Washington Post, “The food is distinctive not just for the beautiful interplay of spices, but for the fact that each dish is prepared to order and consistently delicious no matter what time of day or year you visit. Colorful and boozy, the drinks look like they’ve been plucked from a Carnival cruise.” Swahili Village has just opened the 3rd of its planned 50 locations over the next 5 years. Another flagship location is planned next for the city of Manhattan in New York city, across the street from the United Nations building. Stay tuned for more openings coming to numerous cities in the United States, strategically planned to connect and bridge the culture of Africa to the non Africans within these communities.
About Kevin Onyona – www.kevinonyona.org
Kevin Onyona is a self-taught chef and obsessive entrepreneur that is building the Swahili Village brand to do more than just serve great food and drinks in a fine dining environment. He is on a mission to bring diplomacy to different cities across the world, connecting their cultures to the cultures of the African motherland using the two languages everyone in the world understands; great food and great music entertainment, bundled with fine dining service.
Media Contact
For more information, press or other inquiries, contact:
Ike Nwaneri
202.798.7701
ike@swahilivillages.com
For more information on Swahili Village:
Visit www.swahilivillages.com
