06/29/2026
Met the chef! What an amazing story behind the doors of SKU-nah Cafe!
Meet the Chef 👨🍳
John Joseph is proud to be Tuscarora, Bear Clan, living in Six Nations of the Grand River.
A self-taught chef and lifelong foodie, John turned his passion for food in a new direction after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in June 2025. Just to make life interesting, his partner received the very same diagnosis that month. (They really do everything together. 🤣)
The transformation didn’t happen overnight. Learning to reimagine favourite foods was a challenge, and there were plenty of recipes that didn’t make the cut. But over the following months, the results spoke for themselves. John lost over 60 pounds, reversed the early signs of fatty liver disease, and regained the energy he hadn’t realized he was missing.
As he began to see that healthier eating and regular movement could truly change a person’s future, another realization followed. Finding restaurant meals that supported those goals was surprisingly difficult. Nutrition information was often unavailable, portion sizes were unpredictable, and making an informed choice felt like guesswork.
That’s when the dream for Skū Náh Café began to take shape.
Skū Náh wasn’t created because John wanted to open a restaurant. It was created because he believed people living with diabetes deserved better.
In October 2025, John opened Skū Náh Café with a simple vision: to create a place where people could enjoy exceptional food without sacrificing their health goals.
You don’t have to be living with diabetes to eat at Skū Náh. Everyone is welcome around our table.
But if you are managing diabetes or simply trying to make healthier choices, we’ve done much of the work for you. Our meals include nutritional information and macros, allowing you to choose the option that best fits your goals and where your blood glucose is that day.
John knows that everyone’s journey is different. There is no single recipe for better health. He believes that nourishing food, regular movement, consistency, and working with your healthcare team give each person the best opportunity to improve their health and lower their A1C. Every journey is personal, and every success deserves to be celebrated.
Living with diabetes is a full-time job. You’re constantly counting carbohydrates, balancing protein and fibre, planning meals and snacks, monitoring blood glucose, managing sleep, navigating stress, and battling hormones. There are no days off.
John wanted to change that.
For the short time you’re with us, you can take a break. Let someone else do the counting. Let someone else plan the balance. Let someone else worry about the macros.
Just enjoy good food.
As a Tuscarora man of the Bear Clan, John’s ancestral teachings speak of healing, strength, and caring for the community. We believe Skū Náh Café is where those teachings meet his passion for food.
This café isn’t just about serving meals.
It’s about helping people discover that food can be comforting, beautiful, delicious, and ancestral.
