In Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood, Mojito restaurant owner Luam Wersom has built more than a business, creating a hub for community connection that has delivered over 25,000 meals to people in need.
Wersom started at the restaurant as a dishwasher and worked his way into management before becoming the sole owner. Mojito specializes in Cuban, Venezuelan, and Colombian cuisine, but for Wersom, it represents a lifelong dream. “I enjoy cooking something where an empty plate goes back in the kitchen,” Wersom said, expressing how he knows customers feel welcomed and well fed.
While Wersom and his team focus on customers who dine at the restaurant, the mission is to give back to the community. Wersom uses his abilities in the kitchen to help feed those who need a meal. Volunteers gather at his restaurant twice a week as part of a partnership with the University District Food Bank. On Mondays, they provide hot meals for the community, and on Tuesdays, they prepare packaged meals for distribution. Wersom says they provide nearly 400 meals a week, calling the effort “feeding neighbors with dignity.”
That commitment is especially visible each Thanksgiving, when the restaurant plays a key role in a dinner for seniors and residents of low-income housing. The event recently marked its 15th year, serving more than 1,000 meals this past holiday. Wersom, who came to the United States as a child and grew up in public housing in King County, says he feels a strong desire to give back. “I came through those trenches, I came from that product, so I am just returning a favor for what has been handed to me.”
Wersom’s charitable work is powered by the Mojito Community Foundation, a nonprofit formed by investors who believe in his vision of using food as “a source of dignity and connection.” Wersom says they’re always looking for partners and volunteers. “We have to step up and take charge of food insecurity. No government or local officials — nobody’s going to come in. We all have to chip in on this puzzle to help fill the demands.”
