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NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - The Carribean American restaurant "Taste so Good" opened in the Soundview section of the Bronx in September. It was a dream come true for its 20-year-old owner Tyshawn 'TJ' Jones and his family.
"Growing up, there was no good restaurants in the area and me, I like food, and growing I seen there was just a lot of fast food a lot of food that wasn't good for you," Jones says.
As he works to make a name in the food industry, he's already well known in another. Jones is Thrasher magazine's 2018 Skater of the Year.
It is a journey that began at the age of 9 when his mom told him and his brother to stop playing video games and go outside.
"We didn't have any money and she gave us $60 each and we all went and bought skateboards. We walked to Target, bought skateboards," Jones says.
From there his skateboard would take him from New Jersey and the Bronx to major contract endorsements with heavyweights like Adidas, New Era and Supreme by the age of 14.
He shrugs off being called a trailblazer but TJ is only one of few African Americans in the sport of professional skateboarding.
"I don't even think about that. I just really like skateboarding and this just happens to be my complexion," Jones says.
When he's not competing, his new restaurant is where he does his tricks. But it's his mom, Termisha, who runs the kitchen and who shared 2 pieces of advice: never too much mayo in the potato salad and let children follow their dreams...not yours.
"A lot of parents have a vision for their children and skateboarding was not my vision but it was his love and passion, I saw that and i supported that," Termisha Henry says.
"I don't know what makes me unique, I just stay true to myself, stay humble and do it for my people, for my family and the love of skateboarding.