Adenah Bayoh: From Liberian Refugee to New Jersey’s Trailblazer in Affordable Housing and Restaurants

Adenah Bayoh’s story begins with her escape from Liberia’s brutal civil war in the 1990s. Resettling in Newark with her family, she grew from those early struggles into a powerhouse in New Jersey’s business and real estate sectors. 

Today, she owns seven restaurants, including four IHOP franchises, and co-founded the soul food brand Cornbread. Beyond food, she has broken historic ground as the first Black woman developer in New Jersey to secure a 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for affordable housing—turning her vision of community uplift into concrete reality.

Her affordable housing portfolio is steadily expanding, with projects that prioritize stability, opportunity, and dignity for families. Among them is Southside View in Newark, a 40-unit development with one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, hailed as the first such project led by a Black woman to receive the state’s top affordable housing tax credit.

In Irvington, she partnered with The NRP Group on 722 Chancellor Avenue, a 56-unit project that reserves five apartments for special-needs residents, in collaboration with the YMCA of Greater Newark. Amenities include a community room, fitness center, playroom, and energy-efficient design.

Bayoh has also led the City Hall Apartments at 915 Broad Street in Newark, a mixed-use complex delivering 84 rental units—46 affordable and 38 market-rate—plus 9,050 square feet of commercial space, including Newark’s second IHOP under her management. More recently, she broke ground in Atlantic City on six three-bedroom, energy-efficient single-family homes through her Foya Development Group. Designed with front porches, rear decks, and off-street parking, these homes are part of her push to encourage homeownership and generational wealth.

 She has also been involved in the redevelopment of Irvington General Hospital into 280 Park Place, a mixed-use site with residential units and senior housing.Her projects, now totaling over 180 units of affordable housing across Newark and Irvington, stand as a testament to her mission: real estate not just as a business, but as a tool for equity and transformation. By blending entrepreneurship with social responsibility, Bayoh is addressing New Jersey’s housing needs while opening doors of opportunity for working families, underserved communities, and future homeowners.

Even in her restaurant ventures, Bayoh keeps the community at the forefront. Cornbread, the farm-to-table soul food brand she co-founded, has built a loyal following while offering jobs to the formerly incarcerated and hosting community meals, including Thanksgiving dinners for families in need. With every project, Bayoh’s work redefines success—not just by profit, but by the impact left behind.

Source : PE News - Digital ,, Joucelyn Marigold