Boardman restaurant owner looks back on first 4 years of business in Mahoning Valley
Gaeton Thompson moved from Jamaica to Youngstown in 2000 to start a life with his wife, and 20 years later, he opened his own restaurant.
In 2020, he and his brother Michael decided to open their own carry-out restaurant in Mahoning County and bring authentic recipes inspired by the Caribbean to the area.
Thompson brings over 30 years of experience working in restaurants when operating the day-to-day business at Tebo’s Caribbean Cuisine.
“We’ve been in the business, so we had an idea of what to do,” he said. “It was just a matter of getting the money together, going through protocols. Then we hired a few people, and my wife has been helping me. My brother still comes in every off day from his job in Cleveland. People in Youngstown have helped us so much.”
The name behind Tebo’s Caribbean Cuisine comes from a beloved family nickname.
“That’s what my grandfather called me. Unless you’re Jamaican or somebody who knows me from when I was younger, that’s what everybody, everyone here knows me as Tebo,” Thompson said. “One of my longest friends was at my house, and he [suggested] Tebo’s. Now my kids are calling me Tebo, because they usually know me as dad.”
Thompson said on the menu, several popular Caribbean-style entrees are served with rice and beans, cabbage and plantains.
“Jerk chicken is the number one seller. Oxtail is number two,” he said. “When I was going to put oxtail on the menu, my wife was thinking nobody around here would like it. But once they try it, it becomes a favorite.”
Customers can also build-their-own entrees and add on extra toppings and house-made salsas, plus beef and chicken patties and desserts like Jamaican rum cake.
“Everything we serve is prepared by us, nothing is pre-made,” Thompson said. “From the desserts like bread pudding to the oxtail, we do it all ourselves. My brother and I are both professional chefs. We want to get the word out that we can do more than just Caribbean.”
According to Thompson, the goal for Tebo’s Caribbean Cuisine is to expand to another location.
Tebo’s Caribbean Cuisine is at 4150 Market Street in Boardman.
This story was originally published December 15, 2024 at 5:33 AM.
