Today’s featured member, Tina Fahnbulleh, owner of Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen, said it is the place for Liberian and Ghanaian cuisine in Seattle.
Tell us about your business
Cooking is life. Eating good food is life. My grandmothers taught me to cook. By the time I was four, they trusted me to make rice, which is the highest honor in a West African home. In our family, every meal was a celebration. We made big dishes because there was always a steady string of people passing through – people we thought were lost to the Liberian Civil War. The war drove us out of our native Liberia to Ghana where we could live without the threat of upheaval. So, when these long-lost friends and family showed up for dinner it was a cause for celebration. Food brought us together and cooking continues to carry our bonds. When we moved to the U.S. in 2001, we settled in Philadelphia. There was a large West African population there that made it feel like home. And even with the move to St. Paul, Minnesota, I was never far from familiar foods or the rich spices I knew so well. When I moved to Seattle in 2016, I left all that behind. I was shocked at the lack of West African restaurants, spices, foods, and markets. I wanted to go back to my roots. In Seattle, I started hosting dinner parties for groups of friends and acquaintances – partially to share the flavors of my food but also to make friends. My small dinner parties started to grow and grow as my friend circle got bigger and bigger. That is how Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen started.
Why did you join the Chamber?
I joined the Chamber to be in community with other business-minded professionals who care about the city and want to do business here and ultimately want input in local politics and how best to foster our community.
What are you/is your business interested in or what do you need currently?
I just opened my restaurant seven months ago. It’s been steady for the most part but I would love help in amplifying the business to get more customers in the door.
We’ve also dealt with a series of break-ins and the unbudgeted expenses that come with it have caused hardship. I know there’s the city’s Storefront Repair Fund, but my expenses are more than the amount provided. I would love to have a group of other restaurateurs I can pose these types of questions to.
To learn more about membership with the Seattle Metro Chamber, please visit our membership page.
Thank you to the Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen for being part of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce network. Here at the Chamber, we have 2,500 companies across the region and 13 different business sectors, from your favorite neighborhood restaurant to brands known around the world. Our member feature program is based on referrals. If you would like to learn more about how to be featured in our member features series, please contact Cori Lumens.