From Jamaica with Love: How Shacharouna Gordon is changing what Islanders think about Jamaican food

Shacharouna Gordon is on a quest to show Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) residents what Jamaican food is all about. Contrary to popular yet inaccurate belief, Jamaican food does not necessarily equal spicy food—it’s more about flavour.

Her restaurant Boonoonoonoos, which she co-runs with her husband, is named after a term of endearment said in Jamaica — one that her grandmother often said.

The road to opening Boonoonoonoos wasn’t easy, but Gordon never gave up. Even now, she calls her first restaurant just the start of more things to come. “We want to have a franchise all across Canada,” she says.

Back in Jamaica, Gordon studied agriculture and worked as a farm supervisor but soon realized that a fieldwoman couldn’t go very far in her career. She decided to go back to school in 2009, but life had different plans for her.

After meeting her husband and becoming pregnant, the couple made plans to move. Gordon’s husband moved to P.E.I. first to work on a pig farm, with Gordon joining him in 2013. After giving birth to their son, Gordon had to leave him with his grandmother before she could work out arrangements to get him over to Canada.

Gordon worked on the farm after arriving at P.E.I. However, when Canada’s four-year work permit capacity (a rule at the time) became a reality, the couple pivoted and decided one of them had to go back to school while the other worked on their dream. Gordon took on the latter role.

They both knew they wanted to do something in the Jamaican food or spice industry. One of the reasons was the culture shock that Gordon faced when she moved to P.E.I. This made them think about other immigrants like themselves from Jamaica and Africa. She knew that Boonoonoonoos was going to be something that filled an aching void – a taste of home and a comforting space.

In 2016, after the couple became permanent residents, they were able to fly their son over to live with them. However, more obstacles were encountered, one of which was the COVID-19 pandemic. Gordon recalls that time as being particularly stressful, as her husband was laid off from work and she was working as a resident care worker at a nursing home. This meant long hours and covering for co-workers who were constantly falling ill.

However, in 2022, she was finally able to register the business. While Boonoonoonoos opened as a ghost kitchen at first, Gordon was able to secure a prime physical location right in downtown Charlottetown in 2023.

Boonoonoonoos is changing what Islanders think about Jamaican food, one customer at a time. Gordon says that because P.E.I. is made up of around 95 per cent baby boomers, this business opportunity could be seen as special to customers who aren’t willing to try something they don’t understand.

Gordon says she’s pleasantly surprised by how some of her customers insist on trying spicier options. “I want them to taste the food and know that there are different levels of spiciness,” she says.

Reflecting on her long journey, Gordon says her hope is that her determination to give life to a dream becomes a legacy for her son. “Every problem has a solution, but you just have to sit back, relax and figure it out,” she concludes.

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