A Conversation with Chef Sola on Turning a Craving for Home Into an African Grocery Store
In this conversation, Chef Sola shares how a childhood love of cooking turned into Destiny African Market — a family-run African grocery store and catering company closing the gap between culture and grocery shelves across Massachusetts.
Can you tell us a little bit about you and how food became such a central part of your life?
I have been cooking since I was a child. By the time I was about nine to twelve years old, I was already responsible for preparing full meals for my family. I was not forced to do it. I genuinely loved it. I was passionate about African food and the entire process of making it. From pounding yam by hand to preparing egusi soup and understanding timing, seasoning, and portions, I learned all of that at a young age.
Before Destiny African Market became a storefront, it started somewhere else. Can you tell us how your journey began and what inspired you to build this business?
When I came to this country, there was literally no easy access to the foods I grew up with. You had to travel far, substitute ingredients, or simply go without. That feeling stayed with me. We started by catering because that was the most direct way to serve the community. People loved the food, but they kept asking where they could buy the ingredients themselves. That question kept coming up. Eventually I realized the real need was access. That is how Destiny African Market was born. It was about making sure our community could cook the foods they love without struggle.
When someone walks through your doors, what can they expect to find from familiar staples to hidden gems?
When you walk into Destiny African Market, you will find the staples that feel like home. Garri, egusi, palm oil, pounded yam flour, dried fish, fresh yams, plantains, spices, exotic drinks like zobo, the dried hibiscus flowers to make zobo and rice. But you will also discover items you may not have tried before. Specialty snacks, superfoods, cultural ingredients from different African regions and the Caribbean. It is a place of familiarity and discovery at the same time.
If we came over on a Sunday, what would be cooking and what would we need to buy from your shelves to recreate it?
On a Sunday you would probably smell jollof rice cooking, egusi soup simmering, and plantains frying. To recreate that meal you would need parboiled rice, tomato paste, peppers, onions, palm oil, egusi seeds, crayfish, stockfish, seasoning cubes, and ripe plantains. That is a classic Sunday meal that brings everyone to the table. I have to make multiple dishes for my picky family, haha!
You carry more than just recipes. You carry your Nigerian heritage and culture. How has that shaped the way you run and grow Destiny African Market today?
Being Nigerian comes with a deep sense of pride. I come from a country that values tradition, family, conversation, and excellence in food. That pride shapes how I run Destiny. But make no mistake, while I am proud to be Nigerian, I am also proud to be Black overall. Destiny is not just a typical African market focused only on West African or Nigerian food. We carry products from all over Africa, the Caribbean, and even parts of Europe. These are foods enjoyed across many Black cultures around the world. Destiny reflects that shared experience. It is about celebrating the full diaspora, not just one tribe or country..
What collaborations or partnerships are you most excited about next?
I am excited about partnerships that center education, culture, and access. We have been able to keep our annual cooking classes free this year, thanks to the Grassroots Fund. I am also in process of finding sponsors for our second annual $10,000 grocery giveaway. We want African food to be seen not just as cultural, but as nutritious and accessible. The future of Destiny is about expanding that impact.
Destiny African Market is proof that home doesn't have to be far away. As it grows, so does Chef Sola's mission — making sure her community never has to go without the tastes of home.
If you're in Massachusetts, make sure to stop by Destiny African Market at 502 S Main St, Randolph, MA 02368 — and taste the difference for yourself.
This is part of our Neighborhood Stories series, where we sit down with local founders to talk about the businesses shaping their communities.
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