Eleven-year-old Sebastian Wilson serves ‘Spices & Slices’ at Caribbean style pizza shop in Brooklyn

Eleven-year-old Sebastian Wilson is serving up Spices & Slices, a newly opened Caribbean-flavoured pizza shop at 1828 Nostrand Avenue in the heart of bustling Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Master Wilson can safely say he is set for life, taking forward generational wealth while learning from the best. His Trinidad and Tobago mother, Natalie Lamming, and Grenadian stepfather, Davis Alexander, have already set up the young man for success in the eatery, which has a dazzling, colorful mural and an image of Sebastian welcoming pizza lovers. 

From a tender age, Sebastian has been hanging on the skirt tail of his mother, who has been in the restaurant business since age 18. Now 47, Lamming said she opened her first restaurant, d’Savannah, in 2013 on Flatbush, named for the twin-island Savannah, when Sebastian was born. As such, he became a fixture in his baby crib in the restaurant’s office, never knowing that one day he would be the inspiration for a Caribbean-style pizza shop.

Opened with grand fanfare in October 2024, the pizzeria immediately became an overnight sensation, a favorite spot for Sebastian’s friends and pizza fans alike.

Sebastian says his pizzeria is better than the popular Domino’s because of its Caribbean flavor, and he gets to eat his favorite when he wants.

“I have been in the restaurant business for most of my life, and when I opened my first eatery, Savannah, Sebastian was always there. Then we went through a lot of changes, like gentrification in Brooklyn. This forced us to move to Crown Heights, where we currently own Savannah Spiced,” said Lamming.

“I used to spend a lot of money on his birthday parties, and then I realized after a while that he wasn’t really having a good time, being so young and not wanting to be the center of attention. When he turned 10, I realized there was one difference in our culture from that of others: we don’t set up our kids the way we should for them to carry on the business.”

“When you go to other restaurants or stores, kids are seen wiping down tables and helping in the kitchen, and the story is always that the business has been in their family for generations and passed down to their children.  And since pizza was Sabastian’s favorite food, we decided to incorporate the Caribbean style of both Trinidad & Tobago and Grenada into the menu.’

“I knew deep down inside this was something I wanted to do; I needed to find the right time and learn how to market it,” said Lamming.

Today, five months after Sebastian’s Spices and Slices opened, the pizzeria is doing well. It celebrates the culture of the islands with a wide variety of delicious choices, including Sebastian’s slice topped with Mac and Cheese.

Marketed as ‘the best in town,’ favorites like Oxtail BK, Jamrock Jerk Chicken, Calypso Shrimp, Salmon Delight, Saltfish Buljol, Curry Tabanca, Shark, Veggie Mania, Spiceman – roasted breadfruit, spinach with a pesto drizzle, Marinara, Plantain, and Pepperoni are attracting customers to the pizzeria.

Other flavors on the menu are Brooklynite, Buffalo BBQ Chicken, Maracas Bay, Jamming Jerk Pork, and many others, like the flavorful Veggies and Buffalo BBQ Chicken combo this reporter sampled.

Lamming said customers would not find pizzas in a glass case when they walk into the pizzeria because every order is custom-made with fresh ingredients. The prices are also competitive.

She also said she appreciates Sebastian’s input on the choices to please every customer, not only Caribbean nationals but Americans, many of whom would prefer the Italian flare of Cheese and Pepperoni. He also dictates what type of music to be played in the pizza joint to welcome all patrons.

To learn more, call Sebastian Spices & Slices at 718-552-2186