WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Walking into the Good Grace African Diner and Market in Williamsport, you're met with the smell of African food cooking. Owner Maame Badu was planning to return to Gahanna in 2020, but then the pandemic hit, and she was stuck in Williamsport. She says she started to miss the food from home and opened a restaurant offering cuisines from all over the continent.
"So I just, I get some stuff from Amazon if I do, I get stuff, and I cook, and I started cooking and sharing with friends, sharing with family, whoever wants to eat something, I'll make it," Maame Badu, owner of Good Grace African Diner and Market.
During her time in Williamsport, Badu started cooking for her friends. From there, more people became interested in her food.
"I opened a Facebook page and would post my food of pictures and stuff, and people were showing interest," said Badu.
On one wall inside the restaurant, you can find pictures of 54 flags, each representing an African Country. She says school kids will come into the diner and show interest in where the nations are located in Africa.
"Food wise, some people have an idea, some people have had African food, and when they come in here, they get—cause we make food from not only West Africa, we are making specials from all over Africa," said Badu.
Since opening in September, Badu tells us she has had a lot of people come into the diner who have never tried African food before.
"Even the meals, they'll call and want to know like what it is and I describe it to the best of my knowledge and make it understandable, they come in here, they enjoy the food, some people have never had African food before and they love it," said Badu.
The Good Grace African Diner and Market is open Wednesday to Saturday from 12 to 7 p.m.