VERNON ROCKVILLE, Conn. — When you enter the Vernon Rockville area, you may notice a small brown building with large windows that reads Craig's Kitchen at the top.
When inside, some customers may notice the smell of the food first. Others may see the warm charm and smile of the owner and chef Craig Wright.
Wright has been cooking up southern-style soul food at his restaurant for the past five years.
Although the interior may have changed over the years, the food quality, taste, and passion haven't wavered.
"This is definitely a mixture of family recipes and just my experience throughout the years," said Wright.
There's just about everything on the menu, including fried chicken, candy yams, collard greens, loaded fries, chicken and waffles, and more.
"You're definitely not going to leave hungry," said Wright with a giant grin on his face.
While his food stands out as one of the few black-owned eateries in his town, Wright said his community involvement truly sets him apart. He said it's all as a way to thank the community that helped give him a second chance.
"Basically, between the ages of 18-25, I was in prison," recalled Wright. "I was in and out of prison on probation on parole or under some kind of supervision."
After his last time in jail, he got a job as a dishwasher and worked his way up to the chef. From there, Wright said the rest was history.
"It's important for people with checkered passes like mine, especially young people, to see that if you make mistakes, you can always bounce back," passionately explained Wright. "But you just have to work as hard as you can."
Wright gives back to the community through his food and more.
"Every Easter, we organize an Easter basket giveaway, and every Thanksgiving, we organize a Thanksgiving dinner for the community," said Wright.
He said the community helps with every part of the events. Which takes it from Craig's Kitchen to the communities kitchen.
"The community helps you pay your bills and take care of your family," said Wright. "So, I feel that I have to give back to the community."
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Raquel Harrington is the race and culture reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at rharrington@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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