Mawa McQueen
Mawa McQueen’s success as a chef, restaurateur and small business owner is not just about the community that she has established in Aspen, CO. It also stems from part of a much larger story that begins in West Africa. Mawa McQueen was born and raised on the Ivory Coast of West Africa, where her early life had many challenges growing up in poverty and being the eldest of 18 siblings. However, Mawa was rich in the fact that she had big aspirations. When Mawa was 12, her family moved to Paris. During this time, she was responsible for feeding those that were closest to her—family meals that included breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all day every day. Being the head chef for the whole family, it did not take long for Mawa to realize that she possessed real talent in her craft.
Mawa paved her path and began culinary school in Paris. Shortly after, she moved to London to learn English while working as an au pair. Mawa always had a goal of coming to America and becoming a successful entrepreneur. In 2002, that dream came true when Mawa won a green card lottery. She arrived in Kennebunkport, ME working summer seasons at the White Barn Inn, also working winter seasons at the Little Nell in Aspen, CO. In 2004, Mawa started a catering company in Aspen as a side business. When her catering business took off, she moved to Aspen full time, where she became famous for fresh, house-made, and locally sourced cuisine. In 2006, Mawa expanded her business and created Mawa’s Kitchen, a full-service restaurant and catering company. Her life experiences on the Ivory Coast, Europe, and the United States were the foundation that ignited her passion for bringing food and comfort to people from all walks of life.
Chef Mawa is the proud owner of three restaurants, Mawa’s Kitchen, Mawita, and The Crepe Shack, which she recently opened the second location of the creperie in downtown Aspen. She recently launched her first cookbook, Mawa’s Way. The cookbook is not only a collection of fan favorite recipes from Mawa’s Kitchen in Aspen, CO, but also a story of grit and perseverance to achieve one’s dreams. In 2022, Chef Mawa was nominated as a James Beard Award Semi-Finalist for “Best Chef” in the Mountain region. In 2023, her flagship restaurant, Mawa’s Kitchen, was selected in the first ever edition of the Colorado MICHELIN Guide.
Along with her restaurants and highly successful catering business, Mawa McQueen is also the prominent owner of a granola factory where she produces her own variation of granola. Mawa’s GrainFreeNola is a delicious gluten-free, protein-rich, and vegan granola. Which is made with the highest quality organic nuts and seeds sweetened with Medjool dates. Using fresh, locally sourced organic ingredients from the farmers in the Roaring Fork Valley, she also uses signature ingredients from Africa and France. Chef Mawa has been featured in Forbes, Good Morning America, DuJour, MICHELIN Guide, ABC News, Sweet July, The TODAY Show, Food & Wine, VOGUE, and more.
