The Baker's Son

"At 21, Hawthorne's parents shipped him off to New York, where his older siblings had already relocated. He eventually found a job, started college, and began to build the multi-million dollar business Golden Krust, whose Jamaican patties are a New York staple. Hawthorne's story is compelling on many levels: it offers a peek into life in Jamaica, a classic immigrant narrative, and a testament to the strength of family. Hawthorne's is a Horatio Alger tale with a Caribbean flavor, which should find an appreciative audience among entrepreneurs and business aficionados."

--Library Journal "The American question gets a great, real-life look in The Baker's Son ... Hawthorne's story is at once inspirational and revelatory."

--Publishers Weekly "In his memoir, The Baker's Son, Hawthorne shares how an idea inspired by his father's bakery in Border, Jamaica, grew into the 120-branch Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill. After 23 years of selling patties, pastries, sandwiches and more through Golden Krust, Hawthorne hasn't lost sight of his values."

--New York Daily News "The Baker's Son is a deeply moving account that tells the story of an immigrant family from rural Jamaica that relocated to the Bronx in 1980s... the Hawthorne family has scaled the heights of success to achieve the American Dream to an unprecedented degree."

--The Philadelphia Tribune "In gripping narrative that is both inspirational and instructive, Lowell Hawthorne shares how an idea infused with tenacity, intellect, and passion can become a dream realized. The Baker's Son offers a successful playbook for any entrepreneur who seeks to play on the rough-and-tumble field of business--and win."--Earl "Butch" Graves, Jr., President and CEO, Black Enterprise "Lowell Hawthorne's chronicle of the development of a small Jamaican business into the highly successful Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill, an American business empire, is an invaluable guide to business success as well as an inspiring autobiographical work."--P.J. Patterson, former prime minister of Jamaica The Baker's Son is a memoir by the founder of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, the hugely successful Jamaican owned and run enterprise that reaches from New York to Florida with over 120 franchise locations. Starting from humble beginnings, and after weathering several major crises along the way, the Hawthorne family has scaled the heights of success to achieve the American Dream to an unprecedented degree. Today the Golden Krust brand represents the most lucrative Caribbean business ever established in America and one of the most profitable black businesses operating in the United States. Lowell Hawthorne is the president and CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill. He lives in Westchester, New York.