About Us

A Labor of Love in Hi-Nella, NJ

After Two Years of Planning and Building, Mame and Mark Wilson are husband-and-wife business partners of Wilson’s Restaurant and Live Music — a stunning new 7,800 square-foot, 350-seat restaurant and live music venue located at 709 Warwick Road, Hi-Nella, Camden County, New Jersey. The expansive 5,500 square-foot dining room and bar feature 250 seats inside, 35 of which are located around an expansive square bar, as well as an additional 100 seats on two outdoor patios, which will open in the spring of 2022. This exciting new venture was born out of a $2 million-plus renovation from the Wilsons, who took the landmark building which had been closed for four years and turned it into a stunning restaurant, lounge, and recording studio featuring state-of-the-art sound and lighting and a clean, modern design that includes gorgeous hardwood floors, cobalt blue accents and a few dozen original paintings celebrating Black musicians from the Wilson’s personal collection.

Growing up, Mark’s father owned clubs in Chicago where Buddy Guy and other luminaries would play. Mark grew up with a love for clubs and live music venues. Mark loves creating memories. He adores experiencing the vibe of a buzzing venue and likes challenges, so it felt natural that Mame and Mark were destined to do this. Most of all, Mark loves meeting new people, and cannot wait to meet our guests when we open the doors later this month.

Mame immigrated to the U.S. via Senegal in 1987, moving to New York just out of high school.
Trilingual and raised in an affluent household, Mame earned a degree in International Marketing
from Baruch College, City University in New York. She worked in corporate America for 10
years before becoming an entrepreneur, opening an art gallery in Brooklyn. She would
eventually move her business to Vorhees, NJ, where her LaBelle Art Gallery now specializes in African-American art. Two of her sisters also own restaurants in Brooklyn, and Mame calls her mother a “superwoman” and her inspiration, raising five highly successful daughters.

Mark, who graduated cum laude from Florida State University, grew up mainly between Key West and New Orleans. A military brat who traveled all across the U.S., he is the son of a 29-year Navy veteran mother. While he went to school to become a pharmacist, he would change
paths and travel the world working for ExxonMobil, living on nearly every continent during his adult life. His father owned two clubs in Chicago – The Black Diamond, and the Beat Club. Mark’s mother is Italian, while his father is French Creole, thus providing him with a diverse
palate of international flavors throughout his childhood. Mark was very persistent when the duo first started talking about doing this, Mame is thankful for that, as she is now proud of their accomplishment.  Mame and Mark are super excited to host music and food lovers from all over the region.

Ty knows how to read the room, and he can quickly gauge what people want. He doesn’t have a particular game plan every night, but he lets the room tell him what to play. Wine Up Wednesday and Sunday Funday, stop by to groove to Ty’s mix.

In addition to Wednesday and Sunday nights, Ty is the sound engineer behind all of the performances at Wilson’s Restaurant & Live Music Lounge. No two instruments are the same, and every night is unique as far as sound is concerned. Ty hears every nuance of the band’s music and sets the tone for an incredible night of live music.

Over the past 30 years Christopher has performed as a guitarist with several entertainers across the United States and abroad, frequenting Greece, Germany, and Spain. Christopher has performed live on stage as well as in studio recordings with musicians and vocalist such as Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, After 7, Christopher Williams, Kathy Sledge, Clifton Davis, John Ellison, The Ebony’s, The Stylistics, The Blue Notes, The Spinners, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Dr. Dre, and Boyz II Men to name a few.

Christopher has been the manager for the local Philadelphia live band Side By Sol and co-founder of The Series Mixx since March 2014. Christopher along with partner Brett jolly created the Grand Slam Jam in 2015. The band performed at several local clubs and taverns regularly throughout Pennsylvania which includes the popular Crab Tavern located in Darby. He is the manager of Total groove Studios where he also serves as a music director. He is a personal music director Stacia La’Chole & The Black Soul Band, the Side By Sol band, Pamela Renee Blues Review located in Philadelphia, and Behind The Mask Productions located in Baltimore County, Maryland. He currently serves as the booking manager for Wilson’s Lounge in Philadelphia.

Christopher was appointed as Vice President of the non-profit organization Beyond The Four Walls Arts Outreach Mission, Inc. which serves the communities in the tri-state area focusing on using various forms of the arts to help improve, include, heal, encourage, and enrich the lives of the residents which includes the homeless.

Christopher’s motto is, “Reach & Help One Person at a Time”, with a smile on your face.

Ms. Kimmie has hosted events for NAM Events, NAM Events – Ms. Kimmie’s Red Carpet, Undefeated Jazz at the Woodmere Art Museum with Warren Oree and The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble, Philadelphia Jazz and Soul Festival Live Stream, as well as conducted media interview sessions with various musicians in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area. She shares her pleasant voice on the stage and various social media platforms.

She is the Founder of A Dose of Growth – a mind wellness profession for helping people instill the good daily habit of creating the right thoughts and directing their thoughts in a way that is beneficial to their lives as well as their interactions with others in every day living.

“People tell me, I am the appealing philosophical emcee – I don’t claim it, but I accept it”, and I accept being an emcee for Wilson’s Restaurant and Live Music Lounge !