A new grocery store is open in north Fort Worth. Here’s what you can get
After nearly three decades in Texas classrooms, Pauline Thompson is stepping into a new chapter — one that smells of jerk chicken, fresh thyme and home.
Saturday, May 10, at 6 p.m., Thompson will officially open Fort Worth’s first Jamaican grocery store, Welcome 2 Jamrocc, located at 4550 Basswood Blvd. in north Fort Worth.
The grand opening celebration will feature authentic Jamaican street food, music, drinks, and a vibrant sampling of Caribbean groceries that aim to spice up local kitchens the island way.
“it’s not just another grocery store,” Thompson said. “It’s a place to serve the culture and remind us of our roots.”
Originally from Jamaica, Thompson says this new venture is deeply personal. Her earliest memories of cooking go back to childhood, when she’d help her mother in the kitchen at just 8 years old.
“Our family owned a restaurant-slash-store growing up, so I was cooking with ingredients we sold,” she said. “This has always been in me, I just took a different path at first.”
That passion for food, culture, and community never left her, even as she spent nearly 30 years teaching in Dallas and Denton.
But after the pandemic reshaped the profession, Thompson felt it was time for a change.
She moved to Fort Worth last year, sold her home in Denton, and leaned into a calling she could no longer ignore.
“I realized how much I missed the food, the culture and just the feeling of home,” she said. “And I saw I wasn’t the only one.”
A store born from a need
While exploring her new community, Thompson noticed a gap: Fort Worth had a growing Caribbean population but lacked the stores and ingredients that many grew up with.
Staples like authentic Jamaican beef patties, curry powders, and fresh seasonings had to be shipped in from Houston or New York.
“The market is here, but nobody’s doing it, so I felt like I could help fill the need,” Thompson said. “Sometimes we grow away from who we are, so I wanted to build a place that reminds people of their identity and home.”
That realization sparked the idea for Welcome 2 Jamrocc. After navigating permits and searching for the right location, Thompson landed at a space that felt like divine alignment, crediting her faith for much of the journey.
A taste of home, ready to go
The store will offer a wide variety of grab-and-go meals, including jerk chicken, curry goat, and beef patties. Other authentic items include rum raisin ice cream, mackerel and rice, chiffon butter, Milo, jerk marinade, and more.
Beyond food, the store will also carry cultural goods like Jamaican soaps, herbal teas, handcrafted jewelry and other items that reflect a broader Caribbean identity.
Thompson emphasized her commitment to inclusivity, noting that she hopes to eventually offer products from other Caribbean nations and even African countries like Kenya.
Though this is just the beginning, Thompson already sees potential for growth. She hopes to one day expand into a larger space and open a full-scale restaurant.
For now, her focus is on offering a space where people can shop, connect and feel seen.
“This is bigger than groceries,” she said. “This is about giving people a place that reminds them of who they are.”
This story was originally published May 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM.
