Help Mummy Lue Open a Dine-In Restaurant

Hi, I’m Mary-Lue. I’m a mother, a business owner, a creator, and a survivor.

I became a mom at 14. I didn’t grow up with the kind of support most people have. I’ve experienced abandonment, sexual assault, and years of emotional pain. All while trying to raise my children, stay in school, and survive. I had no real safety net. Just God, grit, and the gifts He gave me.

I started learning how to cook at 7 years old in Ghana, living as a refugee. By the time I was 9, I had mastered dishes well beyond my age. Cooking gave me peace. It became my therapy. I didn’t plan to be a chef, but when people tasted my food, they believed in me, and eventually, I believed too.

I’ve run Mummy Lue African Foods from home. I’ve worked in a shared dine-in space. Now I cook from a commissary kitchen. But none of those places were fully mine. I’m ready for the next step. To open my own dine-in restaurant. A space built with purpose. A place that feels like home.

I want people to come in, eat in peace, feel loved, and experience the richness of West African culture in every bite. I want to create a space that reflects where I come from. Not just geographically but emotionally and spiritually.

Your donation will help cover the cost of equipment, permits, and a permanent location where this vision can finally live.

This is more than food. This is healing. It’s a second chance. It’s showing my daughters that our story doesn’t end in pain. I’m not ashamed of where I come from. I’m proud of what I’m building.

If you see me. If you feel me. Please help me take this next step.

Let’s build it together.