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Capital City Mambo Sauce Partners with Papa Johns to Add D.C. Flare

THE AFRO — Despite Mayor Muriel Bowser’s controversial denunciation of mambo sauce as a D.C. staple last November, most Washingtonians laud the flavor as a true District flavor that adds pizzazz to dishes from the carry out to homemade delights. Now, having recently teamed up with local husband and wife entrepreneurs Charles and Arsha Jones, owners of Capital City Mambo Sauce, Papa John’s chains in the DMV are giving residents a chance to have the District’s dip on wings, chicken poppers or on the side.

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By Micha Green

Despite Mayor Muriel Bowser’s controversial denunciation of mambo sauce as a D.C. staple last November, most Washingtonians laud the flavor as a true District flavor that adds pizzazz to dishes from the carry out to homemade delights. Now, having recently teamed up with local husband and wife entrepreneurs Charles and Arsha Jones, owners of Capital City Mambo Sauce, Papa John’s chains in the DMV are giving residents a chance to have the District’s dip on wings, chicken poppers or on the side.

The AFRO spoke to the Jones family about how Capital City Mambo Sauce came to be, and their most recent business expansion with a nationally renowned franchise such as Papa Johns.

“We got the idea when we moved out to the suburbs and we loved mambo sauce and couldn’t get it in the area we were living in.  One day Arsha had came out and said, ‘Maybe I should try making this at home for the family,’ because we have four boys as well,” Charles Jones told the AFRO. “And pretty much we used to have tastings with our family and our friends, and somebody was like, ‘Y’all should sell this.’ And one thing led to another and we ended up selling our own product online.”

Arsha Jones weighed in explaining that the reason why she and her husband decided to sell their product was about providing for their growing family.

“Our family was growing, and we know we needed to supplement our income.  So really that was the only goal, was just bringing more into the house and to be able to take care of our family,” she explained.

Since their business launch and boom in 2011, the Jones have seen tremendous growth of the Capital City Mambo Sauce brand, which went from their kitchen, to online, to now selling their product in 630 grocery stores.

Collaborating with Papa John’s is the newest, and arguably largest venture in the Capital City Mambo Sauce expansion.

“This is probably the biggest deal in terms of partnership and working with restaurant chains,” Arsha Jones told the AFRO.  “A company that knows us reached out to the franchise owners.  Some of the locally owned and operated Papa John’s restaurants thought it’d be a great idea to partner together and get this local flavor and have it offered through the Papa John’s channels in this area.  We thought it was an excellent idea.”

Besides the great opportunity, the Joneses felt that the collaboration spreads the mambo sauce wealth further.

“Papa John’s serves a lot of the communities that our product is popular in anyway and then it also would give a chance to give people who may have not heard of our product, a chance to try it,” Arsha Jones said.

Those who haven’t tried mambo sauce might not understand why the product is important or why this new collaboration with local Papa Johns is a big deal, yet the Joneses explained the significance.

“It’s a sense of pride and it comes from the fact that outsiders tend to have this one perception of what Washington, D.C. is.  They think it’s politics, and government and White House and whatever goes on down there, but there is a huge community of people in Washington, D.C. who were born and raised here, and we have slangs, dialects, style, music, dances and food,” Arsha Jones, a native Washingtonian, told the AFRO.

“And while other urban cities, like New York and Philadelphia, all have certain food that is associated with their community, mambo sauce is relatively underground, but it’s something that makes us feel like home, so it’s important that our food product- a product of Washington, D.C.- is put on a platform where it can be respected the same way a Chicago deep dish pizza can be respected, or the same way a New York slice of pizza or New York bagel can be respected,” she said.

“Our main goal is to make sure that we’re being authentic to our community, but also giving our product and our community a platform, so people outside of this area can know that there is a whole lot of culture in this area,” Arsha Jones emphasized.

With incredible growth from the kitchen to local Papa Johns locations, the Joneses hope to encourage other creative entrepreneurs to start selling their own products.

“We want people to know that there’s help out here if you really want it, and don’t just think that is just your family sauce and that no one will buy it, or that it’s just a secret for you guys, because you just never know,” Arsha Jones said. “You might be one of those brands that turns into a Sweet Baby Ray’s or Texas Pete hot sauce.

For more information on Capital City Mambo Sauce the Joneses encourage people to try their product, particularly with the new Papa John’s collaboration.

“We challenge anybody to go out there to Papa John’s to try the chicken wings and the chicken poppers and give us some feedback on our website and social media at shopcapitalcity.com,” Charles Jones told the AFRO.

This article originally appeared in The Afro

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Oakland Post: Week of April 1 – 7, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 1 – 7, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances. 

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support 

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC

© 2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

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