Help Keacean Phillips Save Her Restaurant

Jamaican Homestyle Cuisine has been offering some of the tastiest and most authentic Jamaican food in Portland, Oregon for the past six years. Owner, Keacean Phillips has been working tirelessly to grow her business to not only offer Portland amazing food but to take care of her family and community.  However, as we know we have hit this unprecedented moment and so many small businesses are struggling.  Keacean’s business is no exception; it faces a drastic fall in income due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Keacean has been forced to cut her business hours to 12pm - 5pm on Thursdays through Saturdays, offering only pickup and delivery in her attempt to keep her customers and herself safe. Even though her income has been slashed,  her expenses - averaging about US$9,000 per month - remain largely unchanged.  Her business will not survive for much longer without financial assistance. (Keacean has attempted accessing small business grants, but at this time has had no success.)

Closing the doors of her restaurant would be a crippling blow personally and financially for Keacean, as she has invested an immense amount of time and money and overcame many obstacles while growing her business. She started her business as a food cart and grew to the point where she opened this small sit-down restaurant at 441 N Killingsworth in Portland.  Keacean has proven to be strong, incredibly hardworking, and persistent as she has navigated the sometimes overwhelming challenges small Black-owned businesses encounter.  In addition, she has been doing this while being the sole provider for her two boys and navigating the physical and psychological trauma of domestic abuse. At this point in her journey, Keacean needs her community. And the community needs her and her business.