Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Eating at Piña & Coconut, 101 Argonne Road, Warsaw, offers a trip to the Caribbean for the taste buds that can range from mild to very spicy and can be “unique” and “different” than experiences at other restaurants.
Co-owner and chef Dudley Allen said, “One of the things with my food is the flavor. I present taste, presentation and quantity and quality. My food is unique because it targets people. I’m a people person, I love people, and when they come here, I try to study their taste buds - what they like and what they don’t like. And as I say to each one, I go from 1 to 10 when it comes to spice.”
One through three is mild, while four through six gets a little serious about the spice flavor.
“My spice that I make comes from habanero, Scotch bonnet, African bird pepper and jalapeño. A lot of spice I bring, but what I do with my spice - I make it in a way that I add some pineapple, mango,” he said before his wife and Piña & Coconut co-owner Shevonie Allen cut him off so he wouldn’t share all of their secret ingredients.
She said, “Our food is unique, to say the least. That’s what he’s trying to get at. We look around at other restaurants and we appreciate the business. We love the support we receive in the community, and we love giving support. When I look at other restaurants and I want to collaborate, that’s what it is. There’s no competition. Not because we feel like we’re better, but because our food is just different. It’s not going to be the same thing you’re going to find somewhere else.”
Dudley said one of their biggest sellers is the jerk chicken. It’s spicy, but if a person doesn’t want spicy, he can make it mild.
“We have a lot of fish. Fresh fish, we go to New Jersey and bring Red Snapper and Yellowtail very fresh. That way it’s not frozen for weeks and months. You get the flavor from it, and that’s what I love doing,” he said.
Wayne Dunkley, co-owner originally from Jamaica, said he wanted to be a part of the business because the idea was good and people gravitate toward Caribbean food.
He described the food as, “Great! One word: Great!”
His favorite are the jerk chicken, fish and the rice & bean. “All of the dishes are good,” Dunkley stated.
He said it’s value for your money and the restaurant offers warm customer service.
“The chef comes out and he greets the customers. That’s what people want to see, and the food,” Dunkley said, adding that it’s a clean and welcoming environment.
Tuesday afternoon, Piña & Coconut had a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce at their new location on Argonne Road. Previously, they were at 803 S. Buffalo St. for about a year. Shevonie said they’re still working on making the building at 101 Argonne Road their own.
Piña & Coconut is officially open. They had a soft opening almost two weeks ago to get their customers reacquainted with them and see what needed to be fixed or updated. She said they were only closed for about a month to move to the new location.
“We’re back in business,” she stated, adding there’s still some work to be done to the building because “I’m going to turn this into the tropics.”
As for where the name Piña & Coconut came from, Shevonie said, “Most people are familiar with the Caribbean and they always associate it with it just being English-related, right? Well, we’re from Nicaragua, born and raised. And Nicaragua is the biggest country in Central America. We’re Hispanics, we’re a Latin country. We’re also from the Atlantic Coast, which is a Caribbean region of Nicaragua. We’re an English-speaking people, so we’re compromised of all of that. We’re Hispanic. We’re Afro-Latinos. We’re Caribbean. That’s where Latin-Caribbean comes from.”
Piña is the Spanish word for pineapple, and coconuts grow in many places around the world.
“So we just kind of tried to blend both worlds together and expose it that way,” she said.
Currently, Piña & Coconut is operating Mondays through Thursdays 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Due to the fall/winter hours, they will close at about 6 p.m. Fridays. Shevonie said they’re going to try making Saturdays open by reservation only, while Sundays’ hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Follow their Facebook page under Piña & Coconut for any changes or updates. Their phone number is 574-549-4609.
“We will be getting a website pretty soon because that’s how you’re going to be able to do your reservations and such, so, for now, just keep up with us on Facebook,” Shevonie said.
“We’re really a family-oriented fun spot. It’s a loving place. We want you to come in, we want you to feel like home, we want you to enjoy it while you’re here,” she said. “And we also want that if ... we’re not doing something right, call us out on the spot and we’ll make it right. Do not walk away unhappy because our primary goal is to make sure you enjoy your time here. That you walk in and you feel like you’re the superstar.”
Dudley said he caters to people, looks at people and studies what they like so he can cater to that.
“After doing that, I feel like when they are here, they are home for me. They can sit down, relax and be themselves. When they are sitting down, I come out and make much of them. Other chefs don’t do that,” he said.
Another thing that Dudley brings to the table is his expertise.
“I’ve been doing this for 36 years. It’s not just Caribbean food, I do a lot of different dishes. I make my own sauces, everything. I make it right here at the place,” he stated.
When people come to Piña & Coconut, Dudley said, “They’re coming to a place where they’re going to be familiar with and they’re going to be treated with respect and it’s like a Mom & Pop place.”
There’s something on the menu that everyone will like, he stated, and that’s what will bring them back to the restaurant.
“I want them to know that they will be treated like royal people. There is no small and big here,” Dudley said.
