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Ulric Joseph emigrated from Trinidad to the United States in 1995 to start his studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art. After marrying a Pittsburgh native, Joseph decided to open what he found was Pittsburgh’s first vegan Trinidadian restaurant, ShadoBeni, in 2019.
Despite a background in academia, Joseph entered the restaurant business, something which he described as “a nightmare.” ShadoBeni opened a year later than planned, due in part to architectural issues with the space, but mostly because of challenges navigating the complexities of getting permits and clearances.
Joseph felt that the process of opening a restaurant was much harder for a non-native resident. “Once people hear my accent, I get a lot of friction — they act like I don’t know what I’m talking about,” Joseph said.
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