Our Commitment to Serve Our Community
A Taste That Makes an Impact
At FUFU n’ Sauce, our dedication to bringing authentic West African cuisine to your table is matched by our commitment to making a positive impact on our community, socially and economically. We see the need for the African Diaspora to connect to our ancestry and the lack of African food available in St. Louis. Our mission is to fill the gap in food diversity by providing fresh, authentic West African cuisine that supports our local community and the Motherland globally.
Connecting the African Diaspora to Our Roots
FUFU n’ Sauce was born from a series of gatherings where our founder served African food to people in the community while discussing our shared African ancestry. As St. Louis has a large Black population (African American and immigrants), connection between the African Diaspora and Motherland is vital to the body and soul nourishment of Black St. Louisans. The lack of connection to our culture results in a fractured sense of self and lack of understanding of our roots. Many Black Americans are unable to draw that connection easily without intentional African community gatherings or traveling to Africa themselves, which is inaccessible and not easily achieved. Providing an authentic, tangible connection through food is the most accessible option we have to fuel our connection to our ancestors and culture, and we intend to continue introducing West African cuisine to the Diaspora across the United States to fuel the continued connection.
Advancing Food Security
Recognizing that food security is a fundamental determinant of wealth, our mission centers on supporting wealth creation through the provision of nutritious food. A testament to this commitment is our recent partnership with St. Louis University, where we are set to serve students in their cafeteria starting January 2024. We envision expanding this program to serve multiple colleges and universities in the area on a monthly basis. We aim to specifically connect with international students who have left their homes to pursue education in the United States. Our goal is to offer them familiar dishes, providing a sense of comfort and home in an unfamiliar environment. This initiative not only serves as a welcomed alternative to fast food and instant noodles, common choices for financially constrained college students, but also addresses the broader need for cultural connection and well-balanced nutrition in educational settings. Through these efforts, Fufu n’ Sauce endeavors to contribute meaningfully to wealth creation in Greater St. Louis by promoting access to nutritious, culturally resonant food options.
Providing Jobs for Immigrants
We actively support job growth throughout Greater St. Louis through our food truck operations. Through our expanding operations, we will create employment opportunities, with a deliberate focus on hiring immigrants and people of color. This commitment is reinforced by our partnership with the International Institute of St. Louis, utilizing our job opportunities as a valuable resource for those in need of work. Our hiring strategy extends beyond the food truck staff. As we bring on additional chefs and sous chefs, we aim to not only enhance our operational capacity but also to share and propagate the rich knowledge of African cooking techniques within our community.
Supporting African Vendors & Celebrating The Culture
Our team is committed to outsourcing authentic ingredients from West Africa, while also using fresh, local produce in order to preserve tradition and taste. Our recipes have been passed down from generations of West African women who found delicious, healthy ways to feed their families. We celebrate their achievements and culture through sharing their recipes with our communities and showing them new ways to experience food.
Crucially, we directly collaborate with African vendors to break the cycle of imbalance where Africa's abundant resources contribute to the prosperity of the Western world while leaving African communities marginalized. All our spices and materials are sourced from West Africa, not only to uphold traditional cooking methods but also to actively contribute to the economic development of the African continent. Fufu n' Sauce aims to be a catalyst for positive change, promoting cultural awareness, and supporting economic empowerment locally and globally.
