Ayesha Curry Returns to Her Charlotte Roots With Sweet July Cafe
She’s built a lifestyle empire on the West Coast, but for Ayesha Curry, the South holds dear. Meet this multifaceted entrepreneur who blends her vibrant Jamaican heritage with elevated Southern hospitality at her highly anticipated Charlotte venture, Sweet July Cafe. Image: Sweet July Cafe
Who says you can’t go home again? Bestselling author, television host, and dynamic entrepreneur Ayesha Curry is bringing her culinary empire back to her Charlotte, NC, roots with the opening of Sweet July Cafe at the Ritz-Carlton. Influenced by her Jamaican heritage and her teen years spent in the Queen City, she and Chef Michael Mina have created a vibrant dining experience that redefines modern comfort food for the community she holds dear.
Beyond the kitchen, Ayesha is the founder of the Sweet July lifestyle brand and (along with her husband, NBA star Stephen Curry) the founder of the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Whether she’s penning a new cookbook, introducing new skincare, or spearheading a new hospitality concept, this creative visionary is driven by authenticity and a desire to bring people together.
We caught up with the multitalented mom-of-four, who shared the inspiration behind her new restaurant, her definition of Southern hospitality, and how she sets herself up for success every day.
You spent a large part of your childhood in Charlotte, and now you’re opening three incredible dining concepts at The Ritz-Carlton, starting with Sweet July Cafe. What does it mean to you to bring your culinary empire back to your hometown?
It’s such an incredible, full-circle moment. Stephen and I both still have so much family in Charlotte. It feels really special to be able to share something we’ve worked so hard on with the people we love.
You talk a lot about your Jamaican heritage and how it influences your cooking. How are you weaving those vibrant Caribbean flavors into the Southern culinary landscape?
Sweet July Cafe is all about fresh, casual meals, so it’s actually been a really fun challenge to find ways to incorporate the same flavor profiles from the slow-cooked, traditional Jamaican dishes I love into something a little lighter.
You’ll see Caribbean inspiration pop up in some of our custom beverage syrups, like our Island Love, infused with coconut and ginger, and in one of my favorite menu items, our Caribbean Chicken Pita-Foldie, which has layers of beans and plantains, plus a delicious green sauce for dipping.
You worked with Chef Michael Mina on International Smoke in San Francisco. Now you are partnering again for the Ritz-Carlton restaurants, which include The Eighth Rule and Bourbon Steak, both slated to open later this year. How has your business relationship evolved since the early days?
There has always been such a creative freedom in our partnership, and that’s been true since day one. I think after all these years, if anything, there is even more trust to push things even more creatively and really challenge ourselves to do things that are unconventional and unexpected.
Can you give us an example of something unconventional or unexpected you have created together?
One of my favorite pastries we have on the menu is what we call our Lava Cookies. It started with the idea of fusing a cookie and a molten lava cake into one dessert, and after a lot of trial and error, we made it happen.
It’s crispy on the outside, gooey and rich on the inside, just like a perfectly baked cookie right out of the oven, but with the subtle sweetness you get from a molten lava cake. We have three flavors: pistachio, chocolate, and strawberry, and I truly can’t tell you which one is my favorite because they are all so delicious.
What is your definition of true Southern hospitality, and how do you integrate it into your concepts?
I think it’s really simple: Southern hospitality is about making people feel invited and welcome. I know that’s something Chef Mina and I agree on completely. The food is going to be the draw, but the experience is what makes people want to come back.
We’ve always been really intentional about the atmosphere at all of our restaurants, but especially at Sweet July. It starts with a great staff who cares about taking care of people and loves the food they’re making and serving. But it’s also the playlist, the lighting, and all the little details you may not notice, but you definitely feel.
From your blog and the Food Network to cookbooks, your expansive lifestyle brand, and Sweet July, how has your vision for your career shifted as you’ve grown?
I’ll always be a woman with many interests and passions, but through the years, I think the vision has become more focused. I have a better idea of who I am, what I care about, and how I want to connect with people.
You are a bestselling cookbook author and a publisher through Sweet July Books. What is the message you want people to take away when they try one of your recipes or read a book you’ve championed?
Authenticity. Love it or hate it, I don’t care, so long as it’s thoughtful and genuine.
With your business expanding and a bustling household of four children, how do you navigate the work-life balance?
I don’t know anyone who’s figured out work-life balance — I certainly haven’t — so I just try to have grace with myself and set realistic goals. I’ll write down three things for myself in the morning each day, some big and some small. Focusing on the three things I did accomplish, rather than the laundry list of things I didn’t, puts me in a better headspace.
What is your ultimate Southern comfort meal?
Comfort food for me is always going to be Jamaican: jerk chicken, rice and peas, and plantains. But I do love a really good mac and cheese.
What is the one kitchen tool you cannot live without?
Probably my Dutch Oven. I use it for everything.
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Bonny Osterhage
Bonny Osterhage is a professional journalist with more than 25 years of experience in both print and digital media. An avid fitness fanatic, when she isn't exploring the next trending topic, Bonny can be found cycling, running, and leading classes at SolidCore. Find more of her work at Mind Body Green, The List, Business Insider, and more.