Meet the King of Golden Krust Who Wants to Make Caribbean Cuisine Mainstream

Even Undercover Boss fans will be hard-pressed to recall any show in which the “boss” has been black, let alone Caribbean. But Sunday, May 22, Lowell Hawthorne, President/CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, the nation’s largest manufacturer, distributor and franchisor of Caribbean baked products and largest Caribbean-owned business, changes that. In 1989, Hawthorne, with the support and partnership of his 10 brothers and sisters, spearheaded the launch of the family business in the South Bronx that today includes over 120 stores spanning nine states, supplies Jamaican patties to 18,000 supermarkets, family dollar stores and Wal-Marts nationwide, distributes widely to the Caribbean and employs over 44 family members, including his three sons and his wife of over 25 years, Lorna, the company’s Director of Human Resources.