Buisness Brief: Andrene’s
Jamaican Soul Food in Petworth
If you walk into Andrene’s Caribbean and Soul Food Carry Out after 5 p.m. any day of the week, you are in for a treat. There is a good chance you will be greeted by a petite, very energetic woman and the business’ namesake. Andrene Finn’s carryout, located in Petworth at Third and Kennedy streets, is in the center of another future Washington, DC, revitalization project. Plans for the neighborhood include a new housing development, cultural attractions and increasing numbers of small businesses.
The 2-year-old business – opened July 1, 2006 – is supported by what turns into an unending stream of regular customers come breakfast, lunch or dinnertime. Finn boasts that her business is the first Caribbean eatery in the District to specifically cater to soul food lovers, combining traditional Southern favorites with flavorful Caribbean dishes.
The eldest of three children, Finn immigrated to the United States from Jamaica when she was just 10 years old and has called DC her home ever since. “We love our customers,” says Finn with a wide smile. “We prepare our food just the way we like it, the way we always made it in Jamaica.”
In addition to owning her own business, Finn has maintained a career as a social worker for over a decade and currently serves senior citizens in Wards 2, 5 and 8 at the Greater Washington Urban League. Although Finn claims that her career as a social worker is her passion, it is undeniable that she holds a place in her heart for soul cooking. She arrives every morning at 7 a.m. to make the day’s macaroni and cheese and cornbread before heading off to her job at GWUL and returns each evening to help serve dinner to the Kennedy Street neighborhood.
Finn credits her partner and the carryout’s chef, Michael Malcom, for keeping the place running each day along with Naomi Ewart, Andrene’s only full-time employee. Finn affectionately talks about Ewart, whom she calls “Auntie,” the face of the establishment throughout the daytime hours each week. Finn and Malcom decided to open the carryout after talking about it for years – Malcom had decided it was time to stop working for others and finally take the initiative and work for himself.
Although Andrene’s specialty is seafood, owed in part to Malcom’s cooking expertise, the menu offers a wide variety of dishes including oxtail, jerk chicken, barbeque, curry chicken and ribs, as well as a full breakfast menu and desserts. The carryout is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and food can be ordered ahead of time by calling 202-291-7007 with a full menu available online at their website, www.andrenes.com. The location is currently in the process of gaining approval for seating inside the restaurant with plans to extend the seating outdoors once the revitalization of Kennedy Street is complete. The business is also available for catering social gatherings, parties and corporate events and is seeking out government contracts as well – something that proves difficult for the District’s newer businesses. Finn’s outlook is a positive one though – from her daily interactions with dozens of customers she knows by name, there is no doubt in her mind that the business she has created is headed for nothing but success.