Food & Restaurant / Bakery

Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill

Founded by Lowell Hawthorne and his family, Jamaican immigrants who came to New York in 1981

110+ restaurants across 8 states · products sold in ~22,000 retail stores

The Founder’s Story

The Hawthorne family funded their first bakery through a traditional Jamaican “susu” savings pool. Lowell passed away in 2017; his sister Jacqueline Hawthorne-Robinson was named Chairman and CEO in 2024 and has announced plans for 50 more restaurants over five years.

Real Impact

Employment

Became the first Caribbean, Black-owned U.S. company to be granted a franchise license, in 1996. [Franchise Wire]

Locally Sourced Products

Donated J$3 million directly to 10 small Jamaican farmers across five parishes in December 2025 to help them recover from Hurricane Melissa crop losses. [Caribbean National Weekly]

Charitable & Community Work

The Mavis & Ephraim Hawthorne Golden Krust Foundation donated $100,000 to Bronx Community College in 2006 for scholarships to high-aptitude, financially-needy students. [QSR Magazine]
Pledged $100,000 to the University of the West Indies in 2011, covering tuition for 5 students per year over 8 years. [QSR Magazine]
The Lowell F. Hawthorne Foundation, established in 2018, builds endowment funds for underserved communities in the US and Caribbean. [Golden Krust]

Sources: Wikipedia · Nation's Restaurant News · Franchise Wire · Caribbean National Weekly · QSR Magazine · Golden Krust

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