Regalz Kitchen & Bar, the Nigerian-Canadian fine dining establishment founded and owned by Diana Chiamaka Okafor, received a significant mark of recognition this month when two Ontario cabinet ministers visited the restaurant as part of an initiative to spotlight Black-owned businesses in the province.Hon. Graham McGregor, MPP for Brampton North and Ontario's Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, and Hon. Michael Tibollo, MPP for Vaughan-Woodbridge and Associate Attorney General, toured the restaurant and sat down to a full Nigerian dining experience — sampling Jollof Rice, Pounded Yam and Egusi, Nigerian Suya, Guinea Fowl, Puff Puff, Shawarma, and Nigerian Chapman, among other dishes. The visit was as much a cultural exchange as it was a political one: the ministers engaged directly with the food, the story behind it, and the woman who built the business

Diana Chiamaka Okafor launched Regalz Kitchen & Bar over seven years ago, establishing it as one of the standout Nigerian dining destinations in the Greater Toronto Area. The restaurant has built a loyal following for its authentic cuisine and elevated presentation — a combination that has made it a cultural landmark within the Nigerian-Canadian community and beyond.

Official recognition: During the visit, both ministers presented Regalz Kitchen & Bar with formal Certificates of Recognition — from the Provincial Parliament for Vaughan-Woodbridge and from the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism — acknowledging the restaurant's contribution to cultural diversity, community enrichment, and economic life in Ontario.

The visit carries weight beyond the optics. Access to government at this level — ministers who come to the table, literally — is a signal that Black-owned businesses are being seen not just as cultural contributions but as economic stakeholders deserving of institutional support. For Diana Okafor, who has sustained and grown Regalz through seven years of operation, the recognition is both overdue and well-earned.

For SoftCanada, this is exactly the kind of story worth telling: a Black founder, a thriving business, and government showing up to acknowledge it. Regalz Kitchen & Bar is not waiting to be discovered — it has been here, serving, building, and representing.