If you want to eat at Tev’s Kitchen (1905 West 48th Street, LA 90062), make sure you arrive early because the line will definitely be down the block. While founder Tevin “Tev” Love has been at his current location for two years, he’s been nurturing his loyal customer base for nearly a decade.
Originally from Jamaica, Love began cooking at the age of eight. He moved to Los Angeles in 2010 and graduated from Inglewood High School. After college, the serial entrepreneur balanced several jobs, including screen printing, graphic design, and club promotion, before delving full-time into his restaurant.
Learning the origins of Love’s business reiterates the importance of empowering friendships. He told the LA Sentinel, “My friends and I would always cook on the weekends. One day we made curry chicken, curry shrimp, and white rice. They looked at me and said, ‘Bro, you should sell this.’
“I was like, ‘I know’ but at the time, I had to wait for my mom and Aunt Caca to help. Now they’re able to call on me to put the finishing touches on everything…