More important than the plethora of eatery options available in Montgomery County is the diversity of the people who own and operate restaurants in Montgomery County, writes Katie Kohler for ValleyForge.com.

Welcome to the Avenue in Pottstown is owned by Kwane Haywood whose life long dream to have his own restaurant was fueled by watching his mom cook when he was a kid. Haywood worked in the food industry for thirty years before his dream finally came true when he and his wife Akiai Worthington opened Welcome to the Avenue in 2018.

The couple, from Saint Vincent and Barbados, honor their roots with authentic Caribbean cuisine such as curry chicken, braised turkey, and a quinoa and avocado hot pot.

Vanessa Jackson, owner of The Cheesecake Lady, hadn’t ever even tried cheesecake until she was in her thirties! As soon as she did though, she realized it was the best thing she had ever tasted. So she began trying to perfect a recipe, bringing them to her aunt to critique.

Jackson knew she had nailed the recipe, made with the freshest and finest ingredients, when her aunt took a bite and responded with, “THAAAAATT CHEESECAKE…!”

Now, people line up outside her shop on Township Line Road in Elkins Park. Jackson runs her shop with help from her daughter, Brittany, and serves patrons over 30 different flavors of cheesecake.

Though their stories differ, Vanessa Jackson and Kwane Haywood, and so many other diverse restaurant owners in Montgomery County, share a common ingredient – passion.

Learn more about diverse owned restaurants in Montgomery County here.

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