Black in Business is a partnership between Afros In Tha City and The Calgary Journal to showcase some of the city’s Black owned business and the people who power them.

The following feature is by Stephanie Gabriel of The Calgary Journal.

“Why not get paid for what you like doing?”

Three years ago Ife Akinsunmade started an Instagram page to launch his new business, Pepchops Barbeque. Soon he was fulfilling orders from his parents’ kitchen on the weekends to a growing number of fellow Nigerian-Canadians in Calgary. 

But Akinsunmade’s goal was always to bring the experience of Afro-fusion cuisine to the general public. 

“There are Nigerian restaurants,” he says. “They just never caught on outside the Nigerian community.”

Pepchops serves Nigerian food “with a twist”: the integration of Caribbean and Cajun-inspired dishes into the menu. This way, Pepchops attracts a more diverse clientele as customers have a wider array of options to choose from. 

Pepchops reopened Apr. 2 in their new NE location, where they are available for pickup and delivery orders every weekend.

This summer they will also be catering and offering live grills for anyone who wants to host an event with an extra flare.  

“I’m trying to bring it to everyone,” Akinsunmade says. “I want everyone in Calgary and ultimately Canada to experience Nigerian food.”

Watch Stephanie Gabriel ‘s full interview with Ife Akinsunmade here