HAMPTON, Va. — A unique restaurant is opening in Hampton
“I’m going to be serving soul food with a Caribbean flair," said Co-owner Julie Rainey.
Rainey is hoping to fill stomachs as well as hearts with her food.
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Rainey’s is a restaurant that will employ seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities, like her grandson who has autism. Rainey came up with the idea after her previous restaurant didn’t survive the pandemic.
“I wanted to get back in. At that time, (my grandson) had graduated high school and he was doing a lot of job searching but wasn’t landing anything," Rainey explained. "I didn’t want him to be judged. I didn’t want him to have to go through trying to prove himself that he’s good enough to be someplace.”
She encourages anyone who has a disability or knows someone who does and is looking for a job to stop by and talk.
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For Rainey, this has been a labor of love and she’s anticipating a lot of love from the community in return.
“I have a lot of people that are cheering me on. I have a lot of people that have been anticipating me opening with the countdown," Rainey said.
The restaurant is located at 1771 N. King St. just outside Langley Air Force Base and opens May 31.
