Lynda’s African Delicacies is quickly becoming a local favorite in Irvine, California. The city, an hour and a half outside of Los Angeles, is a community-based one known for its family-friendly activities. With more than a third of Irvine on protected land, popular activities residents partake in include hiking, biking and chilling in local parks.

Great Park, in particular, is home to 25 tennis courts, 20 soccer fields, and a huge baseball stadium, and The Spectrum is the new hot spot, with restaurants, shopping and entertainment for all to enjoy. And despite the draw of popular chain restaurants, there’s one small business that is central to the community: Lynda’s African Delicacies.

Coined as the best African food in Irvine, Lynda’s African Delicacies offers a wide selection of flavorful African dishes, from savory jollof rice to mouthwatering suya and fufu. The takeout eatery includes vegetarian options, grilled meats and seafood. Just a short walk away is a hair braiding salon, which also operates as a beauty supply store, selling braiding hair, hair products, scarves and more. As one customer who frequents both locations weekly put it, Lynda’s businesses take care of their customers from the inside out—through the nourishment of their bodies to the adornment of their crowns.

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Lynda never expected to own a restaurant

Lynda U., a devoted wife and mother, moved from Nigeria to the United States and settled in Southern California 19 years ago. Cooking has always been a part of her life, and not wanting to lose her customs, traditions and love of food, she began serving meals to customers while braiding hair at her home. That soon transitioned into her first venture, Lynda’s Hair & Beauty Supply Store, where she’d bring home-cooked food to her customers. Later, she developed a food truck and eventually opened her current takeout restaurant. But culinary work was never her initial plan.

“I opened the hair business when I was pregnant with my now 17-year-old, and I was wondering what can I do to stay home in order to make some income,” she told Blavity. “And it was just like a joke at first. I did one of my niece’s hair. When she went to school, everybody started asking her, ‘Who did your hair?’ And I built my clientele that way.”

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The hair business grew quickly, especially considering the area’s small Black population.

“Now, we have over 20 people working here,” Lynda added.

The food truck operated for five years before she opened the brick-and-mortar location in November. Within months, she realized the food business was outgrowing the hair business and now plans to expand the restaurant to include dine-in options.

“It’s not going to be a pickup spot because we think people in the community like to sit down and eat and talk. So the next one is going to be a sit-down restaurant for sure,” she said.

Why Lynda says her businesses are thriving

With such a small Black population nearby, one might wonder how Lynda’s businesses continue to grow. She said the support she’s received has been welcoming and wide-reaching.

“It’s very nice. I like the community, and I can see that we are well accepted here, and that’s why we have a lot of patronage from different kinds of tribes and different kinds of people,” she said.

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