Mother-daughter duo serve up Trinidadian food at new restaurant in Mt. Airy

Iman Marcano-Sowell always loved cooking, but she never imagined it would be her career until she opened a food stand called Calypso with her mother in the Chestnut Hill Farmers’ Market.

“I just knew that she could cook,” Marcano-Sowell said of her mother, Claudette Campbell.

“I knew that we would do well because quality is important, and I know that she has consistency in her food.”

At first it was difficult to convince Campbell to open up a stand in the farmers’ market, said Marcano-Sowell. Four years later, the two are proud to call a Mt. Airy brick-and-mortar storefront home.

Calypso opened up shop two weeks ago in their new location. Nestled in a quaint space along Germantown Avenue, the restaurant will serve up the same type of its beloved Trinidadian fare as before but will also feature funky twists on comfort food.

Before Calypso, the duo ran a food truck called MiniTrini. They would join the lunchtime food truck gathering at Love Park in Center City. When Campbell had a stroke, however, they lost their position because Marcano-Sowell couldn’t run the food truck alone.

Ultimately, Marcano-Sowell said she is pleased with Calypso’s current location.

“I had always wanted to be in Mt. Airy,” said Marcano-Sowell. “I just felt like our style of food, our commitment to family – easy family dining – and good healthy options would do well in this community.”

Calypso is located at 7122 Germantown Ave. in Mt. Airy. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Brianna Michelle Bosak and Elizabeth Diane Sim are students at Temple University. Philadelphia Neighborhoods, a NewsWorks content partner, is an initiative of the Temple Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab.