Kedemah McHugh first started cooking when he was nine years old.
While his mother taught extra lessons after school, he helped prepare meals for him and his younger brother until she came home. McHugh used a chair to reach the stovetop and remembers making salt fish fritters as his first dish. He also watched his mother and grandmother cook, learning from them how to cook traditional Jamaican food. From there, he developed a passion for cooking from an early age.
Now years later, McHugh is living out his passion with his own restaurant called Rich Caribbean Cuisine, located in Cleveland, Ohio, serving traditional Jamaican food.
"I'm really elated, and I'm still working hard because this is not where I really want to stop," McHugh said. "I really want to excel more at this. I'm thinking about going back to business management in culinary arts. To see the dream come through thus far, it's a great feeling. I'm proud of myself."
As a local Cleveland area restaurant, meals were purchased from Rich Caribbean Cuisine to provide lunch for about 50 students following the Cleveland Huddle: Legacy U event on Feb. 24 as part of the Browns' overarching Cleveland Huddle program.
During Black History Month in the month of February, the Browns continued their Cleveland Huddle program for the sixth year, supporting local Black‑owned businesses and organizations aligned with the Browns Give Back focus areas. The Cleveland Huddle program gives Browns fans, staff, coaches and players a chance to actively support local restaurants. Since the program's inception, they have helped make a positive impact for 25 different businesses in Cleveland.
"Over the past seven years, our partnership with EDWINS has introduced us to countless inspiring individuals, and we're thrilled to now welcome an EDWINS graduate into our Cleveland Huddle programming," Browns Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic said.
Through the Browns' partnership with EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute – an organization that offers formerly incarcerated adults and other individuals a foundation in the culinary and hospitality industries and a support network necessary for long-term success – they selected Rich Caribbean Cuisine as a featured Cleveland Huddle location this year.
"Watching Kedemah grow from a student in our kitchen to the owner of Rich Caribbean Cuisine is exactly why EDWINS exists," Founder of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute Brandon Chrostowski said. "The program isn't just about learning how to cook, it's about discovering your worth, your discipline, and your voice. Kedemah took everything he learned and poured it back into his community through food, culture, and leadership. When our graduates succeed, they don't just build businesses, they build hope. And that's the real measure of success."
McHugh comes from a family of entrepreneurs and dreamed of owning his own business one day. He emigrated to the United States in December 2015 and settled in Cleveland about two months later in February 2016.
He was introduced to EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute through a mutual connection who suggested the program after McHugh shared that he wanted to attend culinary art school. McHugh decided to apply for the program and was accepted.
"With EDWINS, and that's where I get the fundamentals," McHugh said. "I know how to cook, but I didn't know the fundamentals. EDWINS teaches the fundamentals. Everything about fine dining experiences and all that, I learned the critical stuff from EDWINS. That was the best experience for me in cooking and trying to get my career started."
Following the six-month program, McHugh's career took a number of twists. He entered the restaurant business working for other chefs, including his father-in-law, but decided to pursue his dream of owning his own restaurant. Through a mutual connection, McHugh found a spot inside the Kabas African Market on Lee Road to open his own restaurant. He stayed at the location for two years before he moved down the road to a new location.
McHugh and his wife were then the victims of aggravated assault, which forced McHugh to return to cooking from his home. He continued to build his business for about three years from his home before settling into his current location at the Shoppes at Buckeye on Buckeye Road in Cleveland.
When he officially opened Rich Caribbean Cuisine at the Shoppes at Buckeye, McHugh said the restaurant was filled with people. And since then, he has consistently seen his business grow, where they have steady traffic of customers. As his business has grown, he prides himself on being the only chef in the kitchen, preparing all the food on the line daily.
"I pride myself to try and do the best that I know, to keep it Jamaica," McHugh said. "I try to do it the way it's supposed to be, how I learned it the original way from my mom, all of my people and all the good chefs that I've been around in Jamaica growing up. So, I keep it that way."
