Fudena
Ruth Nakaar, WG' 2020
Fudena is the 1st West African Fast Casual Chain in U.S. It is a food brand on a quest to push West African cuisine into the U.S. culinary mainstream. Think: the convenience + customization of Chipotle, but with West African flavors. An important pillar of Fudena’s business model is empowering POC in Philadelphia. We provided meals to BLM Philly protest organizers in July 2020, over 450 meals to the homeless during the fall, and 250 meals to voters in North Philly on Election Day. We also source our ingredients from the Urban Creators, a local black-owned farm in Philly and hope to expand our black-owned farm supply chain as we grow.
Why did you decide to pursue this venture?
Fudena solves a personal pain point for Ghanaian-American founder Ruth Nakaar when she found herself craving the West African food from her childhood, but had trouble finding a quick + convenient way to enjoy it.
How can alumni support your venture?
We've secured a brick + mortar location in Center City, Philly, and are aiming for an August 2021 opening. Please support our crowdfunding campaign. We are seeking to raise $50K and we have 13 days left. https://ifundwomen.com/projects/fudena-1st-west-african-fast-casual-chain-us
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