Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen

What Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen does

Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen is a privately held, single-location upscale Caribbean restaurant operating at 316 NW 24th Street in Wynwood, Miami, founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Rodrick Leighton and Dr. Shrusan Gray, both of Jamaican descent. The restaurant is positioned as Miami's first upscale Caribbean dining experience, serving authentic Jamaican cuisine with a contemporary twist — including signature jerk dishes, oxtail, curry selections, and seafood — across three meal periods: dinner (nightly), lunch (Tuesday–Friday), and weekend brunch (Saturday–Sunday). The full bar offers Caribbean-inspired craft cocktails and an Irie Hour happy hour program Tuesday–Friday. The business operates on a layer of recurring themed nightly events (Rum Jerk and Vibes, Vibes & Chill, Game Night, Ladies Night, Fusion Fridays, International Saturdays, Nostalgia Brunch, Jamrock Sundays) plus annual cultural events such as the Jamaica Independence Day Party, blurring the line between restaurant and entertainment venue.

The revenue model is built on unit-priced dine-in food and beverage sales (menu items $4–$59, 18% service charge added to all bills), off-site catering and private event hosting (priced per 25-person platter, with 50% non-refundable deposits), and third-party delivery via DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Postmates. Customers include Miami-area locals and tourists (25–55 demographic), private celebration groups of 8+ (birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette, anniversaries), corporate and professional groups for team events and client entertainment, and catering clients. There is no proprietary technology, no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed AI capabilities; the operation relies on third-party reservation (SpotOn), delivery aggregator, and event ticketing (Eventbrite) platforms for transaction execution. Marketing is community-driven and event-centric, anchored by Instagram, TikTok, earned media, and word-of-mouth.

The business is bootstrapped (no disclosed funding rounds, no institutional investors, no parent company) and founder-owned, with 16 employees. It is actively operating, recognized as the 2025 Best Jamaican Restaurant in Miami by Jamaicans.com, and has been featured in Bon Appetit, TimeOut Miami, Yahoo News, Local 10, CBS Miami, Essence, and PepsiCo's Dig In segment. In late 2025, the founders launched Dukunoo Cares, a charitable initiative in partnership with American Friends of Jamaica for Hurricane Melissa relief — signaling brand extension into community programming while remaining a single-unit operator.

Name

Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen

Legal name

Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen

Website

https://dukunoowynwood.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen is a single-location upscale Caribbean restaurant in Wynwood, Miami, founded in 2019 by Rodrick Leighton and Dr. Shrusan Gray. It serves authentic Jamaican cuisine across dinner, lunch, and brunch, plus themed nightly events, catering, and private events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Caribbean Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Caribbean restaurant
• Jamaican cuisine
• Off-site catering
• Private event hosting
• Craft cocktail bar

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Food & Beverage Sales: Core revenue from food and drink sales during dine-in service. Full dinner, lunch, brunch, and bar menus with pricing from $7–$55+ per item. 18% service charge added to all bills.
2. Catering & Private Events: Off-site and on-site catering for groups of 8+. Full catering menu with per-head or per-25-person platter pricing. Large-group reservations with 50% non-refundable deposit required.
3. Third-Party Delivery & Takeout: Revenue from delivery orders placed via DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Postmates aggregators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen is a single-location upscale Caribbean restaurant in Wynwood, Miami, serving authentic Jamaican cuisine — including signature jerk dishes, oxtail, curry, and seafood — across dinner, lunch (Tue–Fri), and weekend brunch (Sat–Sun) service, complemented by a full bar of Caribbean-inspired craft cocktails, a weekend Irie Hour happy hour, nightly themed entertainment programming, off-site catering, and private event hosting with bottle service and DJs.

Product overview

Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen is a single-location upscale Caribbean restaurant in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, established in 2019 by husband-and-wife duo Rodrick Leighton and Dr. Shrusan Gray. The core offering centers on authentic Jamaican cuisine—including signature jerk chicken, pork, and lamb chops, oxtail dishes, curry selections, and seafood—served across multiple meal periods: dinner (nightly), lunch (Tuesday-Friday), and weekend brunch (Saturday-Sunday). The restaurant operates a full bar with Caribbean-inspired craft cocktails and an Irie Hour happy hour program. Adjacent to dine-in service, Dukunoo offers off-site catering for events and private event hosting for groups including birthdays, corporate events, and celebrations with bottle service and DJs. Recurring entertainment programming includes themed nightly events (Rum Jerk and Vibes, Vibes & Chill, Game Night, Ladies Night, Fusion Fridays, International Saturdays, Nostalgia Brunch, Jamrock Sundays). The company also runs Dukunoo Cares, a charitable initiative supporting Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen (Dine-in Restaurant) Miami's first upscale Caribbean restaurant, opened in 2019 in Wynwood, Miami, serving authentic Jamaican cuisine — including signature jerk dishes, oxtail, curry, and seafood — alongside a full bar of Caribbean-inspired craft cocktails, with indoor/outdoor dining, lush outdoor patio, bottle service, and hookah. Open Monday 5pm–1am; Tuesday–Thursday 12pm–1am; Friday–Sunday 12pm–2am.
• Off-Site Catering Full-service off-site catering for intimate dinners to large celebrations, including salads, chicken wings, slider packs, seafood bites, pasta, party mains (Signature Jerk Chicken, Yard-style Fried Chicken, Curry options, Jerk Pork, Oxtail), vegetarian/vegan options, sides, desserts, and beverages. Priced per 25-person serving with a 50% non-refundable deposit required.
• Private Events & Large Group Dining Event hosting for groups of 8+ celebrating birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, baby showers, corporate events, anniversaries, private dining, and brunch parties. Features include private event spaces, bottle service, DJs, and VIP hookah service. 50% non-refundable deposit required.
• Nightly Entertainment Events Recurring weekly themed entertainment programming: Rum Jerk and Vibes (Mondays), Vibes & Chill (Tuesdays), Game Night (Wednesdays), Ladies Night (Thursdays), Fusion Fridays (Fridays), International Saturdays (Saturdays), Nostalgia Brunch and Jamrock Sundays (Sundays). Ticketed via Eventbrite.
• Jamaica Independence Day Party Annual special event celebrating Jamaican independence featuring live DJ, rum specials from Wray & Nephew and Remy Martin, and traditional Caribbean party atmosphere. Held annually on August 8th.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ)minorOthers · 1 November 2025Dukunoo partnered with American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) for Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund. Dukunoo created Dukunoo Cares to raise funds for medical supplies for Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. Donations accepted online and in-restaurant after every purchase. AFJ works directly with trusted organizations across Jamaica to deliver aid and long-term recovery.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Bulla Gastrobar: Upscale Spanish tapas gastropub with multiple Miami-area locations, known for lively dining rooms and a full bar-driven social experience. Comparable in price point, daypart utilization, and experiential full-service dining model.
• Mango's Tropical Cafe: Miami Beach Caribbean/Latin-themed restaurant with live entertainment, DJs, and a dinner-plus-nightlife model. Most directly comparable to Dukunoo's Caribbean cuisine + experiential entertainment positioning and operates within the same South Florida market.
• Sazon Cuban Cuisine: Cuban-Caribbean restaurant in Miami serving traditional island fare at mid-to-upscale price points. In-market cuisine peer with overlapping customer base of locals and tourists seeking elevated Caribbean dining.
• Coyo Taco: Casual upscale Mexican eatery in Wynwood with a high-energy, patio-driven atmosphere. Operates in the same neighborhood and demographic as Dukunoo with comparable daypart and nightlife crossover, making it the closest in-market comp for venue economics and customer base.
• Miss Lily's: Upscale Jamaican restaurant in NYC with a strong nightlife and celebrity-tied brand. Closest out-of-market concept comp to Dukunoo given authentic Jamaican cuisine, full bar, and DJ-driven atmosphere serving a similar premium urban demographic.
• Negril Village: Upscale Caribbean (Jamaican-leaning) restaurant in NYC's Greenwich Village combining traditional Caribbean plates with a vibrant bar scene. Direct concept comp for Dukunoo's Jamaican upscale + cocktail/entertainment positioning.
• Komodo: Miami upscale Asian restaurant in Brickell combining high-end cuisine with a full-scale nightlife/lounge component. Closest comp for the dinner-then-late-night venue-economics model that Dukunoo replicates with Caribbean cuisine.
• Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant: Miami Beach Haitian/Caribbean restaurant with cultural decor, live music, and an evening dining atmosphere. In-market Caribbean cuisine peer focused on cultural authenticity and an experiential dining environment.

Broad incumbents

• Pollo Tropical: Fast-casual Caribbean (primarily Cuban) chain owned by Restaurant Brands International. While operating at a different price point and format, it represents broader Caribbean-cuisine competition in South Florida and a useful comp for category-level demand.
• Bahama Breeze: Caribbean-themed casual dining chain owned by Darden, operating broadly across the U.S. While not upscale or Jamaican-specific, it competes for the same Caribbean-cuisine occasion and provides a benchmark for scaled Caribbean-themed concepts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dukunoowynwood
• Instagraminstagram.com/dukunoowynwood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dukunoo-jamaican-kitchen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen