LEXINGTON, Ky. — A new African food truck had its grand opening in Lexington. It’s an accomplishment that has been a few years in the making for a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

What You Need To Know

  •  Sandra Diba is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and came to the U.S. as a refugee when she was 14 years old

  •  She learned recipes from her homeland in the U.S. and started selling food in 2017

  •  Her husband, Alphonse, encouraged her to open a food truck

  • The grand opening of their food truck, Miss Milolo Cuisine, was on Saturday

Becoming a cook and owning a food truck wasn’t always in Sandra Diba’s plans.

“I learned how to cook here in America, actually,” said Sandra. “Back home, I didn’t know how to cook.”

Sandra came to Lexington at the age of 14.

“We were refugees, and that’s how we came to America, with my family in 2008 for better opportunities,” said Sandra.

Sandra went on to get a business degree at Eastern Kentucky University.

She also learned recipes from her homeland and started selling her food on the weekends. When she was starting out, she met her husband, Alphonse Diba.

“When I met her, I was like, ‘I need to find out what’s her gift.’ And I realized her gift was cooking, and I decided to help her,” said Alphonse.

He encouraged Sandra to open a food truck.

“She always wanted a restaurant, but I always tell her to get a food truck and now she started realizing that a food truck is better than a restaurant for someone who’s trying to start her business,” said Alphonse.

The couple stayed busy at the Miss Milolo Cuisine grand opening on Saturday.

“I don’t know how I fell in love with cooking, but for some reason, there’s nothing I love more or enjoy doing besides cooking,” said Sandra.

It’s the first African food truck in Kentucky, according to Sandra.

Miss Milolo Cuisine will be open weekly from Wednesday through Saturday. They will be in a parking lot off of Leestown Rd. near a Kroger.

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