Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill

Golden Krust started as a bakery in 1949 built by Mavis and Ephraim Hawthorne in Saint Andrew, Jamaica, that served family recipes. Their son Lowell Hawthorne, Golden Krust's former President and CEO, and his siblings opened the first U.S. restaurant in 1989 on Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. To open, the Hawthorne family, according to Business Opportunities Journal pooled $107,000, "using the Jamaican concept of susu, whereby everyone pitched in $100 a week to raise start-up money after banks refused them a loan."

Hawthorne came to New York in 1981 and graduated from Bronx Community College, before working as an accountant with the New York City Police Department for nine years. As of 2005, nine brothers and sisters are involved in the family business.

In 2011, Golden Krust introduced a frozen microwavable Jamaican patty. In the ensuing years, the line of frozen patties (which now includes Spicy Beef, Mild Beef, Chicken, Jerk Chicken, Beyond Meat Spicy Beef, Beyond Meat Mild Beef) has expanded to reach over 20,000 grocery stores across the country from stores such as Walmart, Target, Publix, Costco, and more. In 2025, Golden Krust launched a new sub-brand exclusively for Walmart called 'Island Select'.

In 2015, Golden Krust created the inaugural National Jamaican Patty Day, celebrating the rich history of the Caribbean treat. What started out as a singular celebration at the original Golden Krust location on Gun Hill Road in the Bronx turned into a multi-state tour of events and promotions. These events have included appearances from Wayne Wonder, Kranium, Major Seven, Jesse Royal, Tifa, and Nigy Boy.

Lowell Hawthorne passed away unexpectedly on December 2, 2017, aged 57. His death was mourned by many including former employees, colleagues and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. Hawthorne was previously featured on the CBS reality television show Undercover Boss (Season 7, Episode 12) in 2016.

In August 2024, Jacqueline Hawthorne-Robinson, sister of Founder Lowell Hawthorne, was announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of Golden Krust. She would announce in December of 2025 a plan to open 50 new restaurants in the next 5 years.

In July 2025, Golden Krust opened their first location in an airport, with Terminal 8 of JFK hosting the first-of-its-kind location.

In 2025, the MTA announced it would be phasing out the metro card. Golden Krust was one of a handful of local brands that partnered with the MTA to promote the end of the iconic public transit card.

Menu

Their restaurants serve Caribbean classics such as Braised Oxtail, Jerk Chicken, Curried Chicken and Goat, Brown Stew Chicken, Rice & Peas, Acklee & Saltfish, and an array of Jamaican Patties.

In 1998 the company produced 25 million flaky burnt-orange patties on assembly lines at its main facility. The restaurants do a lot of take-out business, as the patties are portable, and also distributes to supermarkets in 30 states. Offerings include beef patty, vegetable patty, spicy beef and cheese patty, soy patty, oxtail, curried goat, brown stew chicken, roti filled with curried meat or vegetables, and "coco" bread.

Operations

The restaurants do mostly take-out and have limited seating.

The decor has evolved from bright “sunny” yellow and orange tiles to a grey interior with white subway tile, wood accents, a Cooked from Scratch, Made Fresh Daily wall, and an accent wall that features ingredients utilized in the restaurant's food preparation.