YumVillage, a fast-casual Afro-Caribbean restaurant, is now open in the Langston Building on the Cleveland State Campus (2215 Chester).
Founded by Chef Godwin Ihentuge, who got his start not at culinary school but in the cafeteria at Wayne State University, the brand was born in Detroit, where it has multiple locations.
The menu reflects his family history — he has relatives in Jamaica and his father is Nigerian —and features some familiar dishes (jerk chicken, jollof rice) alongside some that may be less so (suya fried chicken, maafe).
The Cleveland location will be operated by Carasai Ihentuge, Godwin’s brother, who moved here permanently after attending John Carroll.
Scene’s sister paper, the Detroit Metro Times, has raved about YumVillage’s offerings and has the lowdown on what to expect.
Like the locations in Michigan, the YumVillage in Cleveland will feature arts events and cooking classes to help showcase the other aspects of the two cultures.
This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 8, 2022.
