Sam Jordan has brought nothing short of a dining sensation to the vibrant Fairfax District of Los Angeles. The founder and owner of Lucia, the only restaurant in the city to offer modern Afro-Caribbean cuisine in a luxurious setting, has designed Lucia to be transportive without being theme-like. With a keen vision, Jordan perfectly executed each element from the spectacular menu to the elegant ambiance to the soothing soundtrack. This all works together to lift guests out of LA and into a glamorous island moment where guests experience a modern, high-end take on beloved flavors with dishes inspired by the food, spices, and native fruits of the Caribbean.
Using island-grown ingredients like tamarind, soursop, or coconut, guests enjoy authentic dishes that honor these wonderfully bold and complex flavors. Additionally, the 15 signature cocktails are blended with exceptional Caribbean rums and Black-owned spirit brands, demonstrating versatility, complexity, and sophistication, and mixed with many of the menu ingredients.
Lucia means “light,” and Jordan’s goal is to illuminate Angelenos with the bold flavors, rich heritage, and diversity of the Caribbean countries. It’s working. Below are highlights from our conversation.
You graduated from the University of Maryland, worked on Capitol Hill, and then earned your MA degree in Business and Hospitality from the University of Barcelona. Yet it was your travels to nearly every country in the Caribbean that inspired your vision for Lucia. Can you share how these different experiences influenced your successful entrepreneurship?
Curiosity is my edge. I don’t assume I’m the smartest person in the room; I show up to learn, absorb, and apply. Policy work taught me discipline and stakeholder management. Barcelona honed the business of hospitality. And traveling the Caribbean gave me a real, lived understanding of the cuisine’s diversity and soul. Lucia is the synthesis—an idea I knew people would gravitate toward—and it keeps evolving because I keep learning. Everything has led to this, and I’m just getting started.
What are the origins of your cuisine and stand-out selections?
Lucia celebrates the range of Caribbean cooking with pride, respect, and deliciousness in equal measure. Each island has its own icons and techniques, and many share a through-line of African flavors and ingredients. Quite simply, our menu is the result of a creative spin on traditional Caribbean flair with signature island flavors and ingredients, like coconut, callaloo, chado beni (Caribbean culantro), plantains, and homemade jerk seasoning. While the menu has year-round staples, like a comforting Oxtail Pepperpot and a Pimento-Smoked Jerk Chicken, it also shifts with the seasons to showcase an array of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs from local farmers’ markets.
How have you used social media to build awareness and customer engagement?
Our team stays up-to-date with incredible food photos, new twists on recipes, and announcements—but the real engine is our guests. When people connect with our space on the aesthetics, the DJ, the food, and share their experiences in photos and comments, our community expands far beyond what a young brand could hope to achieve on its own. Social has given Lucia reach, real-time feedback, and a two-way conversation that fuels our momentum.
Do you have a community give-back or donation program?
Yes, community is core to our ethos. Here in LA and across the islands that inspire us. We’ve supported several efforts, including aid for victims of the Altadena fires earlier this year, and we’re building an internal outreach program so we can contribute consistently and meaningfully as we grow.
What is coming next for Lucia?
We are planning collaborations with local fashion and food partners, music tie-ins, and activations around the NBA and All-Star Weekend—all while deepening our community work. Through it all, the Lucia mission doesn’t change: serve great food, deliver excellent hospitality, and give LA the vibe it’s been missing.
What is your top tip for aspiring restaurateurs?
Hold the vision. People will try to steer you toward what’s “safer” or “more approachable,” especially in a tough market. Listen, learn—but don’t let doubt deter you. Do the work, know your numbers, build a great team, and keep going. The market rewards clarity and consistency.
Tenyse Williams is an award-winning Brand Strategist, an Adjunct Instructional Specialist at Columbia University and George Washington University, and Founder & Chief Communications Officer of Verified Consulting, leading a team of digital marketing professionals amplifying awareness for their clients. Follow her on LinkedIn.
