When Moneecia Alsberry opened Moneecia’s Kitchen in Cottage Grove in 2023, she was looking to bring a family soul food restaurant to the Madison area. Her time at the restaurant is a welcome respite from an otherwise busy life where she is a foster parent and caregiver to her mother and uncle.
Alsberry calls Chicago home, but her childhood took her to places like San Antonio, Mississippi, New Orleans, and Mexico due to her father’s service in the Air Force. In high school, she played basketball and football. A self-proclaimed “tomboy,” Alsberry would tell the boys “What until we get on the field and we’ll see who’s the girl!” As her family settled in the Chicago area, her father became a local politician and business owner. After high school, Alsberry worked in her father’s business doing administrative and finance work.
In 2006, Alsberry made the move to Madison to work at Oscar Meyer. She also attended Madison College where she was a straight-A student in the nursing program. After Oscar Meyer, she worked at BrightStar Care. At the same time, she was focused on caring for her two sons, the young of which needed care due to a heart condition.
It did not take long for Alsberry to realize that caregiving was her calling. In addition to caring for her son and patients, she took on the responsibility of caring for her best friend’s sister at the request of the Dane County Department of Human Services. This started Alsberry’s journey into foster care. She began to accept children into her home at levels 3 and 4 who required extensive care and attention, so she eventually had to leave BrightStar to do foster care full time. Alsberry has had as many as 11 foster children in her home at one time. She now has 2 foster children and cares for her 2 godsons in addition to her youngest biological child.
Alsberry was looking to open a business in Dane County that would allow her to capitalize on her strength: cooking. Originally, she wanted to open a soul food buffet similar to a place that she knew in Chicago. As she began to look for space, she came across a small restaurant in the Piggly Wiggly shopping center on Cottage Grove Road. Although it would not allow her to have a buffet, it was the perfect start.
Moneecia’s Kitchen is the only Black-owned business in Cottage Grove. This might seem like an odd place to open a soul food restaurant, but it works for Alsberry. She knew some people in the area from her sons’ time playing football in the area, so she decided to take the chance. Now, she knows that she made the right choice. Business is booming and she enjoys the people. The restaurant also has a prime location next to a grocery store, which allows her to grab supplies as she needs them. She is also able to bring her children in when necessary.
Alsberry is now a member of the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce and is looking forward to using the Chamber and other small business resources in the area to support her business’ growth and expansion. She is looking for help in the restaurant and invites everyone in to enjoy the food. The menu features many of the things that the children in her home love. “When I was making the menu, I thought about the things that they always fight over,” she said. “It’s the Philly steak and the ribeye for sure.” In addition to these dishes, Alsberry also recommends the gyro (in a plate, sandwich, or burger), which is one of her best sellers.
Moneecia’s Kitchen is located at 447 Cottage Grove Road in Cottage Grove, WI in the Piggly Wiggly shopping center.
