By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Restaurateur Dr. Lance London opened his seventh location for his homestyle Southern-cooking spot Carolina Kitchen in October. The newest addition to the regional chain is located in Owings Mills, Md. and has a special focus on providing plant-based options to patrons.
London, a native of Prince George’s County, opened his first location in Silver Spring, Md. in 1996. His father, Otis London Sr., was his inspiration for becoming a business owner. London Sr. was an entrepreneur himself and encouraged his son to pursue the same vocation.
Dr. Lance London is the man behind Carolina Kitchen, a chain of restaurants serving Southern, homestyle cooking. He recently opened his seventh location and has begun incorporating plant-based options on the menu. (Photos courtesy of Meta (Facebook)/ Lance London)
Though his father shaped him as a businessman, it was London’s grandmother, Pearl, who influenced the dishes Carolina Kitchen serves up. She hailed from North Carolina, and London often bragged about her food to anyone who would listen. In 2025, he will open a new concept named for his grandmother, Ma Pearl’s Louisiana Kitchen and Grill, in Upper Marlboro, Md.
London said the key to his success has been an abundance of commitment and belief.
“A belief level beyond belief. What is a belief level beyond belief? It’s when you have a vision that you know inside your heart hasn’t yet materialized. But, because your belief level is so strong, in God’s time, that dream will become your reality,” said London. “You have to see it to believe it and believe it to see it.”
The AFRO recently connected with London to discuss his new Carolina Kitchen location and his nearly 30 year career in the restaurant industry. The responses below have been edited for length and clarity.
AFRO: How is the new Carolina Kitchen location in Owings Mills different from its predecessors?
London: Just like hairstyles and clothing styles they change over time. We have to be able to understand the changes in business and grasp what’s happening. I saw that there was a need for healthy options because more and more people in America, especially our people, are realizing the key to a longer and healthier life is what you put inside your body.
About 10 months ago we opened a Carolina Kitchen with plant-based options in Capitol Heights, Maryland. When I went to open up the new location in Owings Mills, I planned to make it just a regular Carolina Kitchen. Because of the positive and explosive response for the plant-based options in Capitol Heights, I decided to add them to this location midway through planning.
We know traditionally in our community that we eat good. I decided to bring options for those people who want to eat healthier. We still offer the same good-old-fashioned, down-home cooking. I call that home-based cooking. With our plant-based options, I infuse the food with the same seasonings, love and textures of our home-based cooking.
When vegetarians or vegans eat our food, they can’t believe it. It’s the best plant-based food they’ve ever tasted in their lives. That excites us and motivates us to work on more and more menu items. Right now, we have over 70 items. We can’t sell them all at the same time, but we bring in specials. I wasn’t a plant-based eater until I decided to get into this sector of the food business, but now I love plant-based and what it does for your health.
AFRO: What role does your family play in your business?
London:My niece, God bless her soul, she’s been working for my company since she was able to work. She had been saying she was going to work at Carolina Kitchen since she was a little baby. Then she came on her birthday, put on an apron and got to work. To this day, I think she was one of the best team members we ever had. Of course, she went onto college, and now she’s in school to become a pharmacist. She’s doing really well and is even the president of her class, but I know one day she’s going to run this company.
I also still have the same original team I started off with at my first restaurant in Silver Spring.
AFRO: How has the restaurant business evolved since 1996?
London: One of the things that has changed in the restaurant business is that more people of color have gotten involved. When I first started in the business, there weren’t many African-American restaurant owners— very little. Over the years, I know that we as a company have inspired a lot of people to get involved. People tell me all the time that they got into the industry because of what we were doing. I feel proud because I remember when I couldn’t find anybody of color when I first started.
Now should there be more? Of course there should. But, there had to come a time for the first African Americans to play in MLB. There had to come a time for the first African Americans to play in the NFL. There had to come a time for Oprah Winfrey to have the top-rated talk show. I plan on being the very first African American to have a national chain.
We have to explain to our people that who you give your dollar to is who you give your power to.We don’t give enough power to each other. Now, that being said, there is no color on food. I create food that is for everybody.
