Black restaurant owners in Alachua County are serving up more than just delicious meals — they’re sharing stories of resilience, passion and drive.
Antonio Jefferson, the 36-year-old owner of Swamp Religion, got his start at The Swamp Restaurant in Gainesville under Ron DeFilippo, the restaurant’s founder.
Jefferson worked his way up, moving from washing dishes to preparing salads to working as a line cook to eventually becoming the kitchen manager. He ran the kitchen for several years and learned a lot about business management and the food industry from DeFilippo, Jefferson said…