The U.S. has long been known as a cultural melting pot — a large part includes the food. Chinese and Italian cuisine have been enduringly popular, but thanks to social media trends and adventurous appetites, other foods are emerging as new favorites. Now, more people are discovering the joys of Jamaican cuisine. That’s great news for Jamaican restaurant Juici Patties — a popular Jamaica-based chain making its U.S. debut this year.

Authentic Caribbean cuisine has been steadily rising in popularity over the past several decades. While it was once primarily enjoyed by communities of Jamaican and other Caribbean immigrants, it’s now quickly becoming a favorite among Americans of different cultural backgrounds.

Some of that popularity is due to mainstream American restaurants' adaptation of specific dishes and flavors. You no longer have to go to a Jamaican restaurant to find jerk chicken, although seeking it from an authentic Jamaican restaurant remains the choice for those who want a true taste!

In fact, many Americans first experience Jamaican food at restaurants. Others discover it through videos on social media, where they can learn about its history, ingredients, and even how to cook it themselves.

Of course, most social media users want to try authentic Jamaican dishes before they attempt to recreate them — and with Juici Patties, Daniel Chin is aiming to make it easier than ever for people to access fresh, delicious, and authentically prepared Jamaican cuisine.

Daniel’s Father, Jukie Chin, founded Juici Patties 44 years ago in his native home of Jamaica. “My dad started Juici Patties when he was only 16 years old,” Daniel says. “He always wanted to own a business that makes patties. He started his own business making patties by hand in his mother's kitchen. He sold them in his parents’ grocery store for a year. Then he opened his own restaurant in May Pen, located in central Jamaica.”

Now, Daniel—who is the CEO of the U.S. branch of Juici Patties—has opened the restaurant’s first 2 U.S. locations. He chose Florida as a starting point, although he hopes to expand throughout the U.S.

“Florida has a large Jamaican diaspora, but that wasn't the main reason,” he says of the company’s starting point. “We’re aiming for these restaurants in Florida to be enjoyed by persons of all backgrounds, Jamaican and non-Jamaican. South Florida’s a diverse, very vibrant food culture and a great variety of cuisines to enjoy, and we'd love to add to that.”

Juici Patties is already thriving in its new diverse culinary ecosystem of South Florida. And while you might have to wait a bit to try a patty if you don’t live close by, the growing wave of Jamaican food’s popularity might just carry Juici Patties all the way to you.