Jamaican Jerk Villa: NOF Feature in Auburn Gresham

Company Profile

Started by Peter McKnight and his mother in 2002, Jamaican Jerk Villa is a Jamaican restaurant on Chicago’s South Side. The restaurant made a name for itself over the years by serving healthy and delicious jerk cuisine to a community with limited food options.

Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Impact

Jamaican Jerk Villa received a $250,000 Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grant to build out a new 4,600 square foot sit-down bar and grill in Auburn Gresham. Grant funds were used for demolition; masonry repairs; framing, insulation, and drywall; HVAC; rough plumbing; and electrical work.

The new location serves as a point of pride in the neighborhood and shows that Jamaican Jerk Villa’s team is invested in where they started. Its new façade gives the 79t Street Corridor a boost, and the restaurant provides customers a large dine-in area with additional outdoor patio seating for the summer months. Jamaican Jerk Villa’s updated, larger facilities prove that they are here to stay.

Jamaican Jerk Villa is Open for Business:

Jamaican Jerk Villa’s new location is at 642-648 W. 79th St. You can also check them out on Instagram. They have a second location in the South Loop at 2216 S. Michigan Ave.

Learn More About the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund

The City of Chicago Neighborhood Opportunity Fund generates revenue from downtown developments to finance permanent building improvements for small businesses and nonprofits. Administered by SomerCor, NOF grants are for commercial property acquisition, improvement or new construction and can range up to $250,000. If you have a vision to strengthen the commercial corridors in Chicago’s South, Southwest, and West Sides, click here to learn more about the program.