"It feels really good actually, just like coming from a tiny village in Nigeria to be able to showcase the flavors, hospitality, our culture," said owner Cecelia Lizotte. The restaurant has been a neighborhood staple for 10 years and received multiple Best of Boston awards. Restaurant owner Cecelia Lizotte with her daughter, Vanessa, and brother, Paul Dama, inside Suya Joint in Roxbury. Immigrants make up over 20% of all restaurant and food service workers and 36% of restaurant owners, according to the National Restaurant Association. But in the meantime, Lizotte has been struggling to keep her business going without her brother.