Shermond Esteen Jr.

1.

My mother, who owned a catering business, taught me how to cook when I was a kid.

2.

I was sentenced to 33 years in prison for possession of marijuana in 1999.

3.

While incarcerated, I learned how to bake and became good enough at it that I started running the kitchen and teaching others how to cook and bake.

4.

I always had a vision of opening my own restaurant when I got out of prison.

5.

I was released from prison in 2019 after serving 20 years of my 33-year sentence.

6.

After being released, I took one day off and then got to work on my business, starting by cooking out of my mother and father’s home.

7.

My cooking became more popular and I began looking for a building to open up a restaurant in order to comply with food and health codes.

8.

In June of 2020, I opened Nonno’s Cajun Cuisine & Pastries, where I cook all of the main entrees and teach the dishes to those working under me.