Chef Mawa McQueen is the proud owner and executive chef of multiple restaurants in Colorado — Mawa’s Kitchen in Aspen and The Crepe Shack (multiple locations across Colorado). Her life experiences growing up in Ivory Coast and Europe were the foundation that ignited her passion for bringing food and comfort to people from all walks of life. She has been recognized for her skills as a chef and restaurateur and awarded the Colorado Governor’s Minority Business Award in 2020 and 2022.
In 2022, Mawa’s talent and hard work was recognized by the James Beard Foundation when she was nominated as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award Best Chef West. Then again in 2023 and 2024 when Mawa’s Kitchen received the honor of becoming a MICHELIN Guide recommended restaurant (2023 was Colorado’s inaugural MICHELIN Guide).
Mawa’s first cookbook, Mawa’s Way, is not only a collection of fan favorite recipes from Mawa’s Kitchen but also a story of grit and perseverance to achieve one’s dreams. In 2024, she wrote and published her first motivational book, Unstoppable Ambition, in French and English to share more of her fascinating story and the transformative power of perseverance, ambition, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Along with her acclaimed restaurants and highly successful catering business, Mawa is also the prominent owner of Mawa’s GrainFreeNola, a granola company where she produces her own variation of delicious gluten-free, protein-rich, and vegan granola.
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