183 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine ENTREPRENEURS he carried on in college, often hosting parties and giving friends a taste of his appetizing food. Mr. Kanwai earned an associate degree from Metropolitan State University in 2010 and subsequently worked for Anthem Blue Cross, but his passion for cooking lived on. While looking for supplemental income, Mr. Kanwai began cooking his own seafood recipes, posted his creations on social media and sold food from his home on weekends. After three years as an entrepreneur, he began weaning himself from his full-time job to devote more time to his thriving business. Undaunted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Kanwai opened TK’s Surf & Turf Kitchen, Colorado’s first Black-owned seafood restaurant, in Denver in 2020. Mr. Kanwai quickly drew many patrons to his one-of-a-kind seafood offerings, especially his secret sauce, and his clientele grew so swiftly that professional athletes including the Denver Broncos, as well as customers from other states and countries, have been enticed. His food has been frequently described in reviews as a “party in your mouth.” When Denver Food Scene, a food network, heard about his restaurant, they posted a TikTok video of his establishment that went viral, gaining more than one million views in 24 hours and instantly turning his business into an overnight success. Upon reflection, Mr. Kanwai believes that his upbringing was essential to his entrepreneurial success. He was raised to be a leader who always put God first, which played a role in his inclination to be a class president, event organizer and influencer to his peers. He also acknowledges his stepfather, Alfonso McDonald, for helping him find the perfect location for his business and for helping with the restaurant’s renovation design. He and his brother, alongside other family members and friends, helped work on the refurbishment. From watching his father flourish as a chef, cooking quickly became second nature to Tyler Veron Kanwai. Once he was granted permission to cook on the stove as a child, he began cooking pancakes and eggs before school. As he grew older, he continued to hone his culinary skills and started cooking for his friends, a habit that TYLER VERON KANWAI CHEF, OWNER TK’s Surf & Turf Kitchen Denver, CO
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