When Dave Richards moved to the U.S. from Jamaica in the early 1990s to get a college degree, financial challenges began as he tried to keep up with tuition costs.
Richards decided to join the Army, partly for the Montgomery GI Bill, but he has served ever since, and for the last four years, he has juggled his military career with his business, Island Spice Jamaican Restaurant in Leavenworth, Kan.
His co-owner and culinary partner is his wife, Veronica, a California native, who he met while serving overseas. She was also serving in the Army at the time.
After successfully serving as a company commander with the 15th Signal Brigade, Fort Gordon, Ga., he was reassigned to the Mission Command Training Program at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in 2009.
The Richards run the restaurant mostly in the evenings after transitioning from their daytime jobs. Veronica works at Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth as a registered nurse and Dave is assigned to the Command and General Staff College on Fort Leavenworth.
“We opened our restaurant in 2017 to add diversity to the community and bring a Jamaican-inspired restaurant to the Leavenworth area and we have been in business since,” Dave said. “However, in November of 2019, we closed our doors for several months due to my overseas assignment to the Middle East.”
Dave Richards in the kitchen of his and wife Veronica’s Island Spice Jamaican Restaurant, located in Leavenworth, Kan.
Dave said the secret to good Jamaican food is that it must be flavorful, infused with herbs and spices original to the island and not necessarily spicy.
While the most well known and popular dishes served at Island Spice are oxtails and their Boston-Style Jamaican jerk pork and chicken (Jerk refers to a way that a meat, fish, vegetables or fruit is seasoned and cooked), goat is also a popular choice.
“Our goat is marinated and slowly cooked at a very low temperature using herbs and spices, particularly curry powder, which contains powerful antioxidants,” Dave said. “We do not rush our cooking processes and take pride in our finished products. Jerk chicken is the second most popular dish on our menu. The meat goes through several stages to guarantee the consistency that Island Spice Jamaican Restaurant has been known for.
“Some would consider it a laborious process; however, it takes time to properly prepare Jerk and maintain the authenticity of Jamaican cuisine.”
Island Spice has been positively reviewed not only for the food, but also the service.
“Jamaicans by nature are very friendly and welcoming people,” Dave said. “Our goal has been, and continues to be, extending this loving and welcoming trait to our customers.”
Because there are not many Jamaican restaurants in the area, for many diners at Island Spice it is their first experience with Jamaican cuisine.
“Folks who have never tried our food before are happily surprised with the flavor,” Dave said. “Also, folks who have visited Jamaica come to Island Spice Jamaican Restaurant to relive the ‘island’ experience. ‘No passport required.’”
While children in Jamaica learn to cook from a very young age by observing their parents and other relatives and adults, Dave and Veronica traveled across the island to different parishes and learned the many different methods that Jamaicans use to prepare and serve their meals.
“Through our travels, we have developed and perfected our recipes, bringing nothing but the best to our customers,” Dave said.
The menu features Jamaican favorites such as coco bread, which is slightly sweet and fluffy and can be an appetizer, while it also pairs well with the popular Jamaican beef patty.
Ackee and salted codfish, known as Jamaica’s national dish, is also served. Ackee is a fruit that has a buttery, creamy texture and a mild taste. It is the national fruit of Jamaica. The fruit and fish are sautéed with onions, sweet peppers, Jamaican herbs and spices.
Fried fish topped with a savory “Escovitch” consisting of marinated onions, peppers, carrots and other Jamaican spices and herbs is another choice on the menu.
The restaurant also specializes in a variety of island drinks.
“The Island Spice in-house fruit punch is our top seller, especially when combined with Wray and Nephew White Rum, otherwise known as Jamaican Rum Punch,” Dave said. “Our in-house ginger beer is another favorite that can also be combined with various spirits to make a ‘mule’. Sorrel is another in-house favorite and is enjoyed solo as a healthy drink or served with a splash of Jamaican white rum for extra goodness, a popular island cocktail during Christmas.”
The Richards are happy to answer questions from customers and recommend dishes suited to the individual diner.
“Since we serve a variety of very large dishes, we first talk with the customer about eating habits to include known allergies and based on their answers we then make our recommendations,” Dave said.
He said that being one of the largest Caribbean restaurants west of the Mississippi River, Island Spice Jamaican Restaurant’s spacious interior allows diners easy social distancing while providing world-class service during these unprecedented times of COVID-19.
The Richards are constantly assessing their menu and looking for opportunities to add new dishes. During their regular visits to Jamaica to purchase select herbs and spices for the restaurant, they meet with internationally renowned Jamaican chefs to discuss options for Island Spice. “Our Boston style jerk is one example of a change to our menu based on a recent visit to the island,” Dave said.
While the couple is busy with their full-time careers, plus owning and operating the restaurant, they love the opportunity to meet and talk with customers from all walks of life, while forging community relationships through great food, drinks and entertainment.