Love Bird Restaurant Owner Veronica Parkin opened Love Bird Restaurant, formerly known as Humming Bird Restaurant, in 2008 after working as a Fort Bend ISD food service manager for 16 years.[/caption]

Veronica Parkin opened Love Bird Restaurant to continue her passion of cooking and to share her Jamaican heritage after working 16 years as a food service manager with Fort Bend ISD.

Parkin retired in 2008 and opened Love Bird Restaurant at 9750 S. Hwy. 6, Sugar Land. Since opening, the restaurant, Parkin said she has dedicated herself to creating a personalized diner through which customers can enjoy the flavors of Jamaica.

Now in her seventh year owning Love Bird Restaurant—formerly known as Humming Bird Restaurant—Parkin said she celebrates her Jamaican roots through her food and enjoys catering to customers from different countries.

"It is like remembering home with the kind of food I cook," she said. "I meet so many different people, and they are happy because of the food we make."

The menu at Love Bird Restaurant features traditional Jamaican mainstays, such as jerk chicken, and imports seasonings and spices from the Caribbean to replicate the region's taste. Parkin said her homemade oxtail recipe—which is served with white rice and a choice of steamed cabbage, fried plantains or a salad—quickly became a customer favorite.

The oxtail is prepared and seasoned overnight and then stewed with fresh onions and thyme. Before being served, the oxtail is slathered with homemade gravy. Parkin said she cooks approximately 30 pounds of oxtail each week and 15 to 20 pounds of rice each day.

"When people come in and taste [our oxtail], the way we do it in Jamaica, they just love it," she said. "I have people from all nations who come in and enjoy our food."

Another popular menu item is the restaurant's patties—pies stuffed with seasoned beef, chicken or vegetables. Parkin said the patties are popular during lunch and are a common lunch item in Jamaica.

"If you do not want anything too heavy, you will grab a couple of patties," she said.

Although Love Bird Restaurant features traditional Jamaican dishes, it also serves Indian, Asian and American options with a Caribbean twist, she said. Because of the diverse Sugar Land community, Parkin said she has found a strong customer base as a result of her interpretations of dishes, such as baked chicken, chicken curry, and sweet and sour chicken.

"You get tired of the burgers and the chicken," she said. "We do serve chicken, but we serve it in a different style."

Love Bird Restaurant also provides a catering service for private and corporate functions as well as takeout options. Parkin said despite the slow growth the restaurant has experienced, the catering and takeout services have sparked business and attracted additional customers.

In the future Parkin said she hopes to open a second Love Bird Restaurant location in the Greater Houston area as well as expand the current location.

Until then Parkin said she wants to continue her passion as a cook while fostering new relationships with customers.

"Cooking is something that just comes natural to me, and I enjoy it a lot," she said. "If someone would come in and tell me they are hungry, I would feed them. It is not about the money. It is just serving the people and showing them love."