KW Collards, “Slammin’ Good Greens!” was birthed after Kizito Wademi needed to learn to cook for himself.

     “I was recently divorced and quickly tired of fast food, so I began learning to prepare healthier options for myself,” says Kizito, now the President of KW Collards, LLC. 

     Collard greens are staple in Kizito’s homeland of Kenya, so he went back to basics...but with an added twist of his own.

   “I wanted the greens to be tasty to me, but without the fat and high sodium and meat commonly found in prepared collards, so I started experimenting with different combinations of flavors.” 

     Kizito was quite happy with his collard greens recipe.  But it was not until years later, after he met his wife Patricia, that he knew his greens were to be shared.

     “After I tried them, I was amazed,” says Patricia Wademi.  “I told Kizito that we could sell these…that they were actually better than my mother’s!”          And she was not alone in her thinking.  When the couple served Kizito’s flavorful, all natural and meatless greens at their wedding rehearsal dinner in March 2009, they knew they were on to something. 

     “Guests began returning two and three times to the buffet to fill up their plates with the greens,” Patricia recalls. “Even my mother herself had to agree that the greens were better than her own.” 

     Soon, the Wademi’s found themselves writing a business plan on the airplane coming home from their honeymoon. 

    “We decided to see if the greens would sell, so we signed up for a booth at a small, local church festival in Ohio where we lived,” says Kizito.  “We sold out both days.  We just could not keep up with the demand -- it was great to know that people loved my greens.” commented Kizito. 

     From there, the couple ventured to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the 44th Annual Festival in the Park, and after that, the popular annual Southern Christmas Show Expo.  Again they sampled and sold their product, and again, they just could not keep enough jars on the tables.  Since then, they have been selling their 32oz jars of “Slammin’ Good Greens!” in gourmet, health food, vegetarian and specialty grocery stores, as well online to customers across the country.  In October 2009, Kizito moved his family permanently to Charlotte, and soon afterwards, KW Collards underwent its first expansion with the acquisition of  kitchen, warehouse and office space also located in Charlotte, North Carolina.  As a result, KW Collards can now meet the many orders of its delicious greens and has also entered the institutional and restaurant arenas with its frozen product as well.

     “We are so excited about having the ability to reach even more outlets and more customers,” says Kizito