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The aroma of smoked fish fills the storefront as gospel music plays from speakers. Cultural goods are stacked on every shelf, from canned ackee from Jamaica to pounded meal, or fufu, from Ghana. Meat pies and bofrot, Ghanaian-styled donuts, are hot and ready for purchase inside the African & Caribbean Central Market on North Salina Street.

For African and Caribbean immigrants in Syracuse, the cultural market is their home away from home and retailer of choice.

“(The market is) important because not only do they bring fresher food here, it helps those businesses to flourish,” Sheiknur Hassan, a local customer, said.

Roselinda Abbey, the owner of the African & Caribbean Central Market, is originally from Ghana and moved to the United States in 1994. She went to high school and college in Westchester and later started her family in Yonkers.

But as the cost of living increased, Abbey decided she had to move to a more affordable location.

“After some time, rent kept going up and I didn’t like the lifestyle there,” she said. “I decided to move, not necessarily to Syracuse, but to any other place.”

She visited Texas, Maryland and Virginia in search of a new home.

Abbey was familiar with Buffalo and Rochester, but had never heard of Syracuse until someone she knew moved here. Curious, Abbey decided to visit the city, and the low cost of rent encouraged her decision to move.

Abbey always had aspirations to become a business owner. She considered opening a beauty supply store and even a dollar store. Ultimately, money and a lack of competition against other African and Caribbean markets were the deciding factors for her venture.

Ella Chan | Asst. Photo Editor

Roselinda Abbey always had aspirations to become a business owner. The Ghanaian native moved to Syracuse to open the African & Caribbean Central Market after someone she knew moved there.

The road to opening her first market wasn’t easy. Abbey experienced some financial hardships, despite a growing customer base. Her first market operated on a smaller scale in Rochester in a space of only 750 square feet.

After an issue with her previous landlord, Abbey left the Rochester store and opened her current store in Syracuse. With the relocation, Abbey’s mother, Gladys Appiah, can make a shorter commute to visit.

Appiah first came to the United States in 2003 to help her daughter run the store in Rochester. The journey has been difficult, but she said she praises God for guiding her throughout the process. At 75 years old, Appiah said her strength comes from “God’s grace.”

Appiah said she and her daughter have been through a lot together. Abbey used to go to Ghana every three to four months to bring goods back to the United States. Appiah watched her daughter wake up at 3 a.m. to travel to New York City to pick up goods, then deliver them to Syracuse. For the mother-daughter duo, faith is at the center of their relationship.

“It is very good for any person to give your dream, to motivate you,” Appiah said. “Whatever you do, you put yourself into the hands of God, in everything you do.”

Abbey recognized a need to fulfill in her community. She wanted to create a space for customers of African and Caribbean cultures to find everything they’re looking for. Customers can find traditional goods like cassava leaves, cocoyam leaves and salted fish.

“Oh, they are excited! ‘Oh my God, you have this?’ Sometimes they say, ‘Where did you get that? You have that here?” Abbey said of customers’ reactions to the stock.

Abbey still has goals she’d like to achieve. She hopes to expand the space and hire an in-house chef to cook traditional meals.

For years, the market on North Salina Street was the only African store in Syracuse. Appiah said because of this, customers were happy to find their favorite kinds of food.

Ella Chan | Asst. Photo Editor

Roselinda Abbey, the owner of African & Caribbean Central Market, recognized a gap to fulfill in the Syracuse community. With her market, she creates a space for customers of African and Caribbean cultures to find everything they’re looking for.

Without hesitation, Appiah identified fufu as the market’s most popular item. Runners-up include Ghanaian hard chicken, smoked turkey and smoked fish. Customers select items based on their cravings and needs.

“There are so many varieties here, they feel at home,” Appiah said.

Hassan recently shopped at the market with his father, who’s from Kenya. The two bought tea and fried fish. They shop at the market not only for fresh produce, but also to support small-owned businesses.

Hassan’s shopping experience has been positive because of the care shown to customers and the supply of tea, which he always looks forward to purchasing with his father.

“I like that the people are very kind,” Hassan said. “I can get the stuff that I would need without any trouble, and I like their tea.”

Though the staff is small, the employees are committed to supporting their customers. Maurine Abur, a cashier at the market, is from Uganda. Abur has worked there for a year and takes pride in her customer service.

“I feel comfort in helping people, especially when they come around and then I help them find what they are looking for,” Abur said. “It makes me feel so good.”

Ella Chan | Asst. Photo Editor

At the African & Caribbean Central Market, customers can find cultural goods like cassava leaves, green leaves and salted fish. The owner, Roselinda Abbey, opened the market after her longtime aspirations to be a business owner.

Abbey and Appiah’s attitude encourages employees to continue working for the mother-daughter duo.

“They are so friendly and they treat everyone the same, with a lot of love and you don’t want to move away from that,” Abur said.

Abur wants customers both new and old to know that at the African & Caribbean Central Market, help is always available. The market is committed to customer satisfaction and fulfilling customers’ needs.

“If you’re from Africa or you’re from the Caribbean and you’re looking for something that is hard to find, come down here and if I don’t have it, give me a week or two, I’ll get it for you,” Abbey said.

Published on March 6, 2025 at 1:50 am