ChòpnBlọk Brings Contemporary West African Flavor to Houston
By Andrea Brown - Writer @ Rebtel, Beyond Borders
What happens when you combine traditional cultural food with local style? One entrepreneur is looking to find out through his latest venture, a restaurant concept that marries West African flavors with contemporary vibes.
Ope Amosu is a perfect example of the intersectional international culture of Houston. While he acknowledges and embraces his Nigerian and British heritage, he makes it clear that Houston is his home.
“I am of the city of Houston. I grew up here.”
His upbringing was not unlike many of his peers from immigrant families. There were heavy doses of culture, but also plenty of opportunities to be influenced by things that were uniquely Houston in nature.
“Growing up in Houston in a Nigerian household, and every day waking up and stepping outside my home and stepping into the broader community really shaped my identity, which is multifaceted.”
It was those varied experiences that helped Ope cultivate an appreciation for heritage. Additionally, the external influences allowed him the opportunity to see the beauty of culture in many facets.
After high school, Ope was accepted to Truman State University in rural Missouri. There, he got the opportunity to play football, and while that was an added benefit, the location became an eye-opening point of contention. He was hours away from the closest airport and mall, in an area that was severely economically disadvantaged. Around this same time, his parents chose to return to Nigeria permanently, making his visits home to Houston a little different as well. His experience at Truman wasn’t without merit, however, as it affirmed his interest in business.
“I always saw myself as an entrepreneur. I’ve always been someone who was very business savvy and business-minded,” he recalls.
“I think that’s a cultural thing too. I think you find that we as West Africans have that instilled in us from a young age, knowingly or unknowingly, just because our parents are most likely the same way. They come from a society where nothing is ever handed to you. They also believe that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.”
After graduation, Ope began working for a company in the wholesale sign industry. “It wasn’t sexy,” he shared. It did however allow him the opportunity to stick close to his then girlfriend, (now wife, Janelle,) as the role was based in her hometown of St. Louis. The same role would later offer him the opportunity to return to Houston, which allowed him the opportunity to accomplish another of his goals; graduating from Rice’s prestigious MBA program.
While enrolled, he focused on energy and entrepreneurship, and was heavily engaged in life on campus. His successful completion of the program earned him a job at GE, which opened the door for another relocation – this time to Philadelphia, a progressive city with a wide variety of culture. Traveling for work forced him to head out for food often, which wasn’t something that he complained about.
“I’m very into food. Food is something that from a young age, my family has always bonded over. I come from a decent sized family, four kids and my parents. At the same time, we have a very strong extended family. If anyone knows the West African culture, everyone is an auntie and uncle. We love them all the same. In any function we have, we’re coming in mass, and it always centered around food.”
While experiencing the food scene in Philadelphia, he realized that many other cultures had done a great job of marrying their traditional food with contemporary style.
“I always had a this little thought in my mind that it would be awesome if I could go and get the foods that I grew up eating, and not necessarily have to go out of my way to go and do it. But also, to go in there, and be able to see a diverse group of people embracing it, enjoying it, but also learning a bit more about the culture.”
Global work placements expanded his cultural knowledge, and a chance sighting of an Italian street kitchen helped spark the idea for a West African inspired restaurant.
“I said you know what, that’s it. I want to create a West African inspired fast casual restaurant concept that shares the beauties of West Africa in a contemporary fashion, because the big myth that I think people tend to have is that that region is not contemporary, when actually they are shaping lots of culture.”
He immediately went to work on the concept, putting pen to paper and gaining industry experience as a prep cook in a large fast casual chain restaurant, all while working his corporate role during the day. The prep cook role allowed him the opportunity to understand the finer points of the business, knowledge that he wouldn’t have been able to gain had he not immersed himself in it.
The result is ChòpnBlọk, a new entry to Houston’s culinary scene. The name itself is a nod to the butcher’s chopping block, with a Pidgin English twist.
“The word Chòp means to eat [in pidgin.] We always refer to ourselves as a cultural crossroads, our physical location is a crossroads. So now, the ChòpnBlọk is the place where you go to eat. If you’re West African you’ll know immediately, but if you’re not, you’ll still have an idea of what we serve.”
Over the course of 2018, Ope and his team have taken the time to research, aggregate data, and de-risk. Their first public offering was the Chòpd + Stewed Dinner Series, which takes its name from chopped and screwed music, a Houston cultural staple. Each private dinner brings together 20 people from varied demographics to experience the food and share their feedback. Everything, from the location to the playlist, is intentionally a melding of cultures.
“ChòpnBlọk is not just about West African culture, it’s more of a crossroads where we take local communities and our culture and mash it together. So it’s not only the foods we traditionally ate but it’s also taking influences from other foods, and sprinkling a little bit of our flavor and cooking technique on them.”
On the menu are things like the Oga Palmer, a drink comprised of hibiscus tea, lemonade and ‘vibranium’, “Brazy Bites” a bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and traditional African greens, and the Trad Bowl, which features grilled chicken, plantains, smoky jollof rice, and a vegetable mix.
Next, ChòpnBlọk will introduce itself to a wider audience through its first pop-up, on November 18th at Cafeza, a popular Spanish influenced coffee bar and eatery in Houston’s First Ward.
“We hope people walk away with a better understanding of the culture. We hope they walk away at a different level of excitement than they were when they walked in,” he says. “Our goal is, that when people leave they leave understanding our principles, and keeping us honest so that we do deliver on them with food that’s fresh, honest, friendly and flavorful.”
The dinner series has been successful in creating a diverse group of supporters which are kindly referred to as “The Blọk.” As the concept expands, Ope is banking on that block expanding, but not too quickly.
“We’re very excited about what we’re doing. We still have a long journey ahead of us. We’re understanding where we’re at in that journey, and still managing the organization in a way that allows us to do the process justice. We don’t want to grow to soon. There are a lot of elements to designing this concept. Being mindful of that, and taking the excitement that comes with it while still being able to manage it has been a big focus point for us.”
There’s no question that the excitement is growing, and for Ope, it’s fulfilling work.
“I’m just really looking at ways to take my passions and things that matter to me and apply my skill sets to them, to ultimately create something that I identify with, and something that can be beautiful and shared with the world.”
To find out how you can be a part of the ChòpnBlọk pop-up in November, be sure to follow on Instagram.
Published on Oct 26th, 2018
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