Jamaican restaurant Yard Vybz Nyaminz opens in West Chester Twp.

West Chester Twp. is a developing, bustling, diverse township with a wide array of family owned restaurants. Culinarily speaking, it’s a microcosm of the world. A new restaurant, Yard Vybz Nyaminz, is representing Jamaica in that microcosm.

Yard Vybz Nyaminz was founded in 2021 by executive chef David Williams and his wife Nicole, originally as a catering company operated out of their home. Eventually they decided to expand to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, which they opened in 2023. However, the idea is much older.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

“It has been a lifelong dream to open my own restaurant,” David Williams said, “and I have over 20 years’ experience in the restaurant industry.”

Williams prides himself on authenticity, service and bringing a bit of Jamaica in every aspect, from the cuisine to the color scheme inspired by the Jamaican flag to the name. “Yard” refers to Jamaica, “vybz” invokes excitement, and “nyaminz” is a Jamaican Patois term for eating. Dishes include Jamaican staples such as jerk chicken and curry goat, several seafood options, and vegetarian options like coconut curry chickpeas with zucchini.

“We use only authentic Jamaican herbs and seasonings which we procure directly from Jamaica and also ship from other states within the US,” Williams said. “The best part of being the chef at Yard Vybz Nyaminz is being able to share my love of cooking and my unique and authentic Jamaican dishes with a large population.”

Credit: Nick Graham

Being so new, Yard Vybz Nyaminz hasn’t faced too many hardships, but that doesn’t mean the road was entirely smooth. Opening a restaurant is a notoriously exacting process with many moving parts, and the process of opening Yard Vybz Nyaminz was no exception.

“The process to get our restaurant up and running was a bit challenging and took a bit longer than we expected with all the permits we had to apply for and renovations we had to undertake,” Williams said, “but we remained steadfast and never gave up until we were finally able to open our doors.”

Credit: Nick Graham

In the future, Williams hopes to expand and open new restaurants in the tri-state area. For now, Williams’ focus is on getting the word out about Yard Vybz Nyaminz and sharing his passion with the West Chester community.