THE COLOR OF COURAGE.
SAHARALASVEGAS.COM
Celebrity Chef (Kwame Onwuachi) Brand Campaign Launch
While the Las Vegas culinary scene is no stranger to celebrity chefs, its most recent entrant by Kwame Onwuachi is breaking entirely new ground with Maroon. As the first restaurant on the Strip conceived by a Black celebrity chef, this epicurean tour de force presents the authentic flavors of Afro-Caribbean and Jerk cuisine, reimagined by a modern-day visionary. As such, its historic and cultural significance cannot be overestimated.
A New Cultural Landmark.
Maroon is a culinary altar to cultural memory, where personal style meets unapologetic flavor.
At the helm of Maroon is James Beard Award-winner Kwame Onwauchi, a chef celebrated for his culinary innovation and his commitment to culture. His take on Afro-Caribbean cuisine is both reverent and bold, with authentic flavors that come to life in imaginative new ways. For Kwame, cooking is more than a craft-it's a form of storytelling. Maroon brings the history of jerk and Jamaican cooking to a new audience, proving that a Las Vegas steakhouse can push new culinary boundaries.
Storytelling for every mouthwatering bite.
We believe we will need to represent this exciting concept with bold photography not only of Chef Kwame but also of his cultural creations. We’re not just photographing a “chef” and his food; we’re building a new cultural landmark celebrating a people and their masterpieces of history, survival, and resilience.
The story of the MAROON people, much like the story of jerk cooking itself, is one of survival, ingenuity, and preservation.
Kwame Onwuachi
A James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur, and author. Named to Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2025, he has also been recognized as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs, Esquire's 2019 Chef of the Year, a 30 Under 30 honoree by Zagat and Forbes, and the most important chef in America by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana, Onwuachi began cooking in his mother's Bronx apartment. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America and, by age 30, had opened five restaurants. He has hosted the James Beard Awards, curated the 2025 Met Gala menu for Anna Wintour, and appears as a judge or talent on shows including "Top Chef," "Chopped," and "Somebody Feed Phil." He is a Lexus Culinary Master and an Executive Producer for Food & Wine.
His restaurant Tatiana, at Lincoln Center, was named the "#1 Restaurant in New York" by the New York Times for two consecutive years. His DC restaurant, Dōgon, landed on Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Hot List and North America's 50 Best List in 2026.
Maroon, now open at SAHARA Las Vegas, marks Onwuachi's first West Coast restaurant. A Caribbean steakhouse, it brings his signature blend of Nigerian, Creole, and Afro-Caribbean influences to the Strip. His Patty Palace by Chef Kwame is available at Citi Field and Barclays Center, with more news to come.