Jonelle Watson never set out to open a restaurant. What she wanted was a way to share the Caribbean-inspired food she had spent years perfecting — without the crushing overhead that comes with owning a brick-and-mortar business.
Instead, the 37-year-old entrepreneur built Ms. Sauce Plates Culinary Horizon, a Glen Cove–based catering company rooted in culture, community and a newly licensed commercial kitchen at the North Country Reform Temple that is now opening doors for other aspiring chefs as well.
Watson moved to Glen Cove 10 years ago to be closer to her father and to reconnect with the strong sense of family she grew up with — something she said reminded her of her grandfather, John Watson Sr., whom she described as the heart of their family.
Her cooking reflects a blend of influences from the American South, Curaçao — an island off the coast of Venezuela — and Haitian cuisine, which she was introduced to by her mother-in-law, Maryse Thermidor.
“She showed me things I had never seen before, from marinades to how they even clean their meat,” Watson said. “I had never tasted food like that or cooked the way she did. From there, I just wanted to learn everything.”
Her children became her first critics and biggest cheerleaders, urging her to open a food truck or restaurant. Watson wasn’t ready for that leap — but she was ready to build something sustainable.
After forming her LLC and completing multiple food safety and food service manager certifications, Watson ran into a major hurdle: finding a commercial kitchen. Many were located in Manhattan or were already booked solid on Long Island.
That’s when Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce President Maxine Cappell Mayreis connected Watson to NCRT a space that had never been licensed as a full commercial food facility.
What followed was a six-month process that included multiple Department of Health inspections, detailed kitchen schematics, equipment documentation and required upgrades. Mayreis’ husband, Dean, helped photograph equipment and collect serial numbers needed by inspectors.
“She was preparing so much for the Department of Health and it felt like an unending process,” Mayreis said.
By March of last year, Watson received a full food establishment permit — the same type issued to restaurants — allowing her to cook on-site, cater private events and transport food throughout Long Island.
The achievement didn’t just benefit her business. The temple’s kitchen was officially converted into a state-of-the-art commercial facility, making it available for other chefs and culinary entrepreneurs to rent without navigating the lengthy approval process Watson completed.
“It helped me and it helped them at the same time,” Watson said.
Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Queens College and spent most of her career working with underserved populations through organizations such as the Developmental Disability Institute and SCO Family of Services. She has worked with children with autism and developmental disabilities, families in shelters and individuals with hearing impairments, including serving as a caretaker for a deaf man with special needs after studying sign language at Suffolk County Community College.
That commitment to service continues through her catering business. Watson regularly partners with nonprofit fundraisers, donates food at community events and supports causes focused on education and disability services.
At a recent Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, where she also serves on the board of the commission, Watson donated dozens of homemade desserts to give back while introducing her food to new customers.
For Mayreis, Watson’s experience reflects the Chamber’s mission to guide small businesses through complicated regulatory processes.
“Our first order of business is to uplift and take care of our businesses and find out what they need,” Mayreis said. “If people understood upfront what these steps looked like, they could prepare and move forward with confidence.”
For Watson, the commercial kitchen represents more than a workspace — it represents possibility.
“It gives me the freedom to live out my dreams without restaurant overhead,” she said. “And it opens the door for others to do the same.”
