Meet our Empresarios: Creole Me Up

Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.

Name of Business:

Creole Me Up

Country of Origin:

Haiti

Significance of Name: 

The name Creole Me Up came from the language and and traditions from Haiti. In the perspective of Elsy, the Creole food made and cooked here is not up to par thus she decided to “Creole Me Up” some food.

Goals for Business:

“My goal for the next five years is that when anyone thinks of Haiti, they think of the food, drinks and flavors and not the negative stuff depicted in the media. I want people to have that connection of the food with Haiti and not the poverty and negative perspectives of Haiti. I want people to know Haiti through food and to make Pickleez known.”   

Elsy’s Story

Meet Elsy Dinvil she left a decade-long career in the financial sector to start Creole Me Up, a restaurant and catering service specializing in the foods and experiences that Dinvil grew up on with ingredients such plantains, beans and rice and other staples from her Haitian upbringing. Her restaurant was part of an ongoing trend in the industry toward temporary "pop-up" restaurants, which offer customers unique food items and experience for only a few days, or a few hours, at a time prior to Covid-19. With a growing audience base and popularity lost, it is clear that Dinvil has taken a huge hit to her business, however, she is currently focusing on selling packed products such as her delicious Pickleez.

“My name is Elsy and I am originally from Jérémie, Haiti. Haiti is divided into departments, much as the US is divided into States. Jérémie is the third largest city of Haiti and is part of the Grand’Amse department. In 1991, I came to America with a full ride scholarship to study in the United States. I was among just 20 Haitian students selected for this great opportunity. I studied Food Science Technology, graduated, and then, as part of the scholarship agreement, returned to Haiti for two years. I came back to the United States in 1999 after working at the United States Agency for Development (USAID) for two years and at CARE-Haiti for six years.Currently, I am in the process of completing my MBA with a concentration in strategy. I grew up in the kitchen. In fact, in Haiti, girls don’t have a choice. As soon as my mother started cooking, my sisters and I were in the kitchen helping with all sorts of chores and my main task always was to crush the ingredients to make the épis (marinade) of the day to marinate the main meat for dinner. 

Needless to say, I love to cook and enjoy bringing close and new friends together over tasty food. My business, Creole Enterprises LLC, was launched on August 21st, 2017 after a six-year-long struggle with digestive issues and a colon surgery. I have a solid understanding of how foods can nurture and heal the body, and at the same time, negatively affect someone’s health. I am especially focused on helping people overcome health challenges through simple choices in the food they eat. My goal is to provide chemical and allergen-free plant-based products with rich flavors, which offer an alternative in the kitchen, all while staying true to my Haitian roots, culture, and background. This is the biggest inspiration behind my business. 

I recently published a book, Cooking With My Mother that is available on Amazon. This book is filled with over 100 easy-to-follow popular Haitian recipes. My company also offers cooking classes. If you would like to participate in one of the classes, you can either follow us on Instagram, visit this website often, or join our email list. If you cannot attend our classes, just get a copy of the book! My company also caters for small and big events. Reach out to us if you would like to serve Creole foods cooked with the simplest ingredients that sink well with your guests’ bellies.”

About Creole Me Up

Creole Me Up focuses on bringing and highlighting the flavors and the true culture of Haiti to the Northwest. The goal is to expose a different perspective of what Dinvil knows as home vs what is portrayed by the media. She wants the community to see Haiti for its beauty and culinary excellence vs the hardships and poverty.

Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.