MAY 17, 2020
And what we can learn from her creativity, kindness, and perseverance.
By Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement
The first time I tried Meme’s Caribbean Flavour, I knew I was hooked. My entire plate of jerk chicken, macaroni pie, and green beans was wiped CLEAN in record time. When I told Ms. Shurla Jobe, the founder and owner of Meme’s, she smiled; “That’s what I do…bring flavor to NWA!”
Shurla Jobe: Bringing flavour to NWA.
She had to leave her children in Trinidad with her family as she made the move to New York City. Once she knew it was safe for them here, she brought them over slowly to the U.S. to be with her. Even today, Shurla says that she still has to work through the trauma of leaving her home and her family to begin a new life.
Once in New York, Shurla had to adjust to a very different way of life. “I had to learn how to slow down my speech because people couldn’t understand me.” But, she notes with a laugh, her family in Trinidad could not understand the accents of people in the U.S.!
She sought to get back to work as quickly as possible, but quickly realized she needed to have a degree to get a good job in the competitive city of NYC. “In this country, you have to have a good education. Working minimum wage jobs makes it really hard to do more than just pay your bills.”
So she started college in 2001 and worked her way through her degree. Shurla had 2 more daughters after she moved to New York, and by 2003, she found herself as a single mom of 6 children.
“I’m an immigrant and a single parent: I brought over all 4 kids from Trinidad, had to prove to the government that I would not be a burden, and college helped me do that. I got a job so I could take care of my 6 children. It was hard but it was possible. Going back to school after 20 years with young kids-it was hard. But I was very focused.”
And her hard work certainly paid off! Today, Shurla has her Master of Business Administration and a Masters in Human Resources. She worked as a fashion designer in New York City. Now, she instills the importance of education in her children and grandchildren.
A few years ago, Shurla made the move from NYC to Northwest Arkansas for a job in the IT department of Walmart HQ. Coming from the huge city of NYC to Arkansas, Shurla felt a certain amount of culture shock:
“I saw the hay bales out in the fields from the airplane and thought…are those huts?”
But something happened she didn’t expect: she grew to love Northwest Arkansas.
After working at Walmart for a while, she felt the job lost its joy. During a season of transition, she realized that she no longer wanted to be a part of the corporate world but wanted to do something she loves: care for people.
““I have a passion to help people and to have hospitality. Food falls into the hospitality group and is a way to share kindness.” ”
On top of that, there was no Caribbean food in Northwest Arkansas. Shurla saw the lack of Caribbean cuisine as a need for NWA and wanted to fill it with something she loved.
So, the innovative entrepreneur she is, Shurla began by building her clientele out of her kitchen, cooking for people who wanted to buy her food. Soon, she had started a small bakery for special occasions, like weddings and events. Then, her business evolved and grew, and she began doing pop-ups. “I did pop-up kitchens before pop-ups were invented!” she says with a laugh. Finally, Meme’s Caribbean Flavour came to fruition last August.
“I thought of the name for nearly a year! My grandkids call me Meme, and I wanted something that people could hang on to, people could remember, and I wanted it to be a part of who I was.” Shurla made sure to intricately incorporate her Trinidadian roots into her business as well.
“In Trinidad, we spell Flavour with a U! So everything, even the name, is Caribbean influence.”
Every one of her dishes is authentic Caribbean, and many are original Shurla creations, such as her famous hand pies. Running a Caribbean restaurant in Arkansas requires strategy and business savvy. In fact, she gives many of her dishes names that will appeal to locals so they will try them. “They just need to try it. If I can get them there, they will come back for more!”
Putting down roots in NWA
Today, all 6 of Shurla’s children live in here in NWA close to their mom. She has 3 daughters and 3 sons. Her daughters all help their mom with the business, including cooking, administration, and marketing & PR. She is also the proud grandmother of 7 grandkids!
One of the reasons Shurla loves NWA is because of how welcoming it is here. Her love for the community is evident in the way she extends her hospitality. Her motto is simple: “If you need food, you can get food. You can always come by and get food if you are in need.”
Advice for newcomers
Shurla’s advice for other immigrants stems from her belief in the importance of education: “getting formal training really helps.” For fellow entrepreneurs, she encourages that you do something you love, but will also fill a need. “Find a solution to a problem and make that your business model!”
Whatever area you want to do business, find a solution for a problem and use that! There are so many different strategies, and if one doesn’t work, don’t give up. Keep trying!”
She also suggests newcomers and new entrepreneurs to really invest in the community—
- “Get connected with your community. Connect with people, groups, and people in need!
- Go through social media, even if it isn’t something you like or not used to. That exposure really helps. If you don’t know anyone yet, use social media to market. This is a big network.
- Find networking events, go out, and let people know about you! Meet people. Everybody needs to eat! Go into the community knowing you can fill a need. Plug yourself into different things locally.”
Support local business owners.
Before Covid-19 hit, Shurla was getting ready to have the grand opening of Meme’s new location in Rogers. “It was just put in place by God. There were paintings of beaches on the wall already! I knew it was my space!”
This blog is another entry in Canopy’s celebration of NWA Minority Business Owners! Are you a minority business owner or do you know someone you think we should feature? We would love to hear from you! Email us at entrepreneurship@canopynwa.org!
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