The owners of a popular Haitian-American food truck operation are looking to open a 49-seat restaurant in Codman Square, hopefully with a new liquor license and, separately, a “fast-casual” location on Blue Hill Avenue near Morton Street.

The expansion of the Gourmet Kreyol catering business comes after several years of bootstrapping on a food truck and working out of Commonwealth Kitchen, according to co-owner Nathalie LeCorps, who briefed members of the Codman Square Neighborhood Council (CSNC) about the plans on Dec. 4.

“There are a lot of Caribbean restaurants in Dorchester, but the twist is we would like to have a really nice sit-down restaurant that is friendly to families and a place to gather and come together as a community instead of going outside the community,” LeCorps said, adding: “Gourmet Kreyol is very community oriented.”

The restaurant would be located at 657 Washington St. and the owners are hoping to get community support for an all-alcohol liquor license available through a new state law. The deadline for the first round of the licenses was last Friday (Dec. 6), with another round likely happening in the late spring, according to the Boston Licensing Board.

Gourmet Kreyol is the second eatery to come to CSNC for approval of a sit-down expansion and the addition of a liquor license. Fresh Food Generation on Talbot Avenue went the process earlier this fall. The council has been supportive of independent restaurateurs seeking to expand and add liquor licenses and Codman Square has been identified by city officials as an area with a demand for more permits.

Gourmet Kreyol’s overall concept was greeted with enthusiasm, as LeCorps said it would be something very different and stressed there would be excellent customer service and a mind to grow the business outward.

CSNC President Cynthia Loesch-Johnson said the news is “very exciting” for the community, which, along with CSNC, has fought against fast food establishments in recent years, most famously Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, by expressing a preference for local, healthier options.

“You know how hard we as neighbors have fought to bring sit-down restaurants to Codman Square so we can experience what other neighborhoods get to experience routinely,” she said. “We had Fresh Food Generation here and now we have Gourmet Kreyol here. This is a really exciting time, and we have worked hard for this.”

LeCorps, who was raised in Miami, where her parents operated Gourmet Kreyol restaurant for many years, started her food truck and catering business in 2021. She brought the same flavors and energy – and name – to her adopted city.

She told The Reporter that they hope to open the restaurant and office headquarters by April and have already begun renovating the space – which has been vacant since the closing of Next Step Soul Food Café.

There are also plans to open a take-out, fast casual location at 1210 Blue Hill Ave. in Mattapan at the former Caribbean Flavors Restaurant in the small shopping center across from Morningstar Baptist Church on a similar time frame.

LeCorps said Gourmet Kreyol is attempting to bring Haitian food not just to Haitians, but also to the masses, using traditional recipes with their own twist. They also are gluten-free and are accommodating to food allergies. They hope their blend of traditional and modern will make their Codman Square location just the starting point for a significant expansion.

“We’re looking to be the Chipotle of Haitian food,” she said. “We want to franchise it and start in New England and then take it down all the way.”

The CSNC will not meet in January due to the regular meeting falling on New Year’s Day. Members will convene again on Feb. 5.

Residents and members of the Codman Square Neighborhood Council gathered on Dec. 4 for their monthly meeting and celebrated the holidays afterward. Seth Daniel photos

CODMAN SQ. NOTEBOOK
Schools in the crime log
Several incidents involving schools and staff were noted in this month’s crime report from area police.

• On Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m., a vehicle pulled up to Neighborhood House Charter School at 197 Centre St. and began questioning the staff in what they saw as a suspicious manner. Staff notified police, who reported that the car had been stolen. The car fled the scene and tried to make an escape up dead-end Cheverus Road adjoining the St. Mark Church property. Once cornered, two men fled and after a brief chase, were caught and found to have a loaded firearm. Both were arrested.

• On Nov. 8 at 12:30 p.m., near 637 Washington St., a teacher and students were walking and two men on a scooter nearly ran them down, according to a police account. Words were exchanged on site, and about an hour later the men on the scooter returned and threatened the teacher with a firearm. Officers got a description and found the scooter on Fuller Street, and after a short chase, they arrested the men and took possession of the firearm.

• On Nov. 27 just after 2 a.m., police responded to Codman Academy at 622 Washington St. for a burglar alarm in the school. During a sweep, police found a man inside who had a warrant out for his arrest. He said he had been dropped off at the wrong place. He was charged with breaking and entering.

Winter Farmer’s Market

Market Manager Richard Scott announced that the Codman Square Winter Farmer’s Market will open on Jan. 25 in the Great Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be open every Saturday until March 25. This year, the operators say they have secured two farmers every week in addition to the other numerous vendors.

Holmes on Legislature audit

State Rep. Russell Holmes told the CSNC that the process of the audit of the Legislature that the voters approved last month will likely be decided by the state’s highest court, and that legislators are “going to wait for them” to act. He said that while legislators have allowed the will of the voters to proceed, they aren’t convinced that elected Auditor Diane DiZoglio is the right person for the job.

“I can tell you we’re going to fight like cats and dogs to keep separation of powers and fight to make sure it’s not this auditor,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that we need an honest broker for this, and I’m not convinced this auditor is an honest broker.”