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Since 2022, Papi Chulo Restaurant has been whetting people’s appetites in Ocho Rios with its Mexican-inspired food.

What started as a home kitchen by the couple Jemila Hamilton and Micha Bennett; the company has grown over the last two years and recently held its grand opening at a new location on 170 Main Street in Ocho Rios.

“The opening was phenomenal and great. A lot of people came out and showed interest in what we offer. Our guests were treated to food and drink samples such as tacos, quesadillas, margaritas and so on, and they had the opportunity to hear our story and see what Papi Chulo is all about,” said Bennett.

Bennett says he got the idea for the restaurant while working in New York at a Mexican restaurant and turned it into a business after his success with a pop-up restaurant.

Bennett revealed the restaurant name ‘Papi Chulo’ has nothing to do with Mexican food. The name comes from a song lyric he found catchy in the track ‘7 am On Bridle Path‘ by rapper Drake.

Hamilton says the menu is specially designed in a way that could introduce Mexican cuisine in a way that’s suitable to the local palate.

Diners at the restaurant can look forward to traditional burritos, tacos quesadillas, nachos and more.

“Our tagline is “Where Mexico Meets Jamaica,” so we needed to create a Mexican-Jamaican fusion for people who may not be as welcoming of strictly Mexican flavours. Jamaicans cook with more flavours so adding that brings the food to a different level,” said Hamilton.

She teased that there are more Mexican dishes the restaurant is waiting to introduce when it is timely.

“I think our menu stands out because we have a straight Mexican-themed menu and not a lot of restaurants are doing that right now. Even though a few restaurants might have tacos, quesadillas, or even wraps on their menus, they don’t have a full Mexican menu. But we are strictly Mexican-styled food so that is what sets our dishes apart in the market,” she continued.

Hamilton says the chicken quesadilla is the most popular item on the menu, but their signature quesadilla burger, Mexican Bull Dog and Dutty Dawg are also big successes.

Bennett says opening a Mexican-themed restaurant is not without its challenges.

“Our main obstacle is that we are new to the market and we’re introducing something different so a lot of people may not be willing to try new stuff thinking they won’t like it, but we promote and market our business a lot. We have a good following on social media and our page is very active. We also try to get a lot of reviews so people can share with others what it tastes like,” he said.

Bennett says he hopes to one day open multiple branches and expand internationally.

“If you want to open a restaurant, just start. We introduced the food to our family and friends first and let them give me their opinion, then we made the changes as recommended. Remember I started in my kitchen so if I can do it, so can you!”