Jackson restaurant serving more customers with new building

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Overcoming several obstacles, a local business owner is enjoying her own brick and mortar building.

Kenikakes in Jackson, started in 2014. Through the Community Revitalization Project, The Black Excellence Awards Committee and the True Community Credit Union, gifted a renovated building to the business owner.

It was Shakanna Blake’s readiness to expand Kenikakes, that led her to receive the exceptional award of her own building. The Black Excellence Award Committee recognized how her restaurant feeds people’s hunger, and also, feeds the community’s soul.

Blake got her first building in 2019. Six months later, the pandemic changed the direction for her restaurant. Blake had been running her business out of her food truck. Limited space, meant limited options on her menu, meaning less for her customers. Even when she was ready to open her new building, she almost lost everything again to the big ice storm knocked in February.

“It really allows me to prep more. That way I’m able to provide more. With a limited amount of space, there’s a limited amount of meals. I went from doing one of my specials every day in the food truck, to now with a full of food menu. That is the great part about having the space,” Blake said.

Kenikakes finally opened the end of February.

You can visit Kenikakes at 107 Hague Avenue in Jackson. The drive-thru restaurants website is: www.kenikakescatering.com.

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