A popular Ottawa restaurant is in limbo after its manager and head chef's refugee claim was apparently denied and her deportation set for Sunday.

Africa Slow Food, at Bronson and Gladstone avenues, is a co-op venture run primarily by Bridgette Kouptie.

She opened the restaurant a year ago, she said, using recipes she came up with herself in a mix of African, Caribbean and Haitian styles.

But she's set to be deported to Belgium today, leaving her business partners unsure of how they'll keep serving the signature dishes the restaurant's become known for.

"She's an artist," said Aissatou Soumare, one of the partners in the co-op. "She creates recipes. Not everybody has that capacity, that skill."

Refugee claim denied

Kouptie, who has dual Belgian and Cameroonian citizenship, came to Canada five years ago and submitted a claim for refugee status.

But she omitted her Belgian citizenship on the application, she said, after receiving bad advice.

After years of back and forth, her application and a subsequent appeal on humanitarian grounds were both denied, she said, and her departure for Belgium was set for Oct. 21.

I just want to come back and finish what I started. - Bridgette Kouptie

Kouptie said the decision has been devastating.

"I worked so hard for this company," she said. "I just want to apply to come back and finish what I started."

She said that possibility lies with the Canada Border Services Agency, which will determine Sunday if she's eligible to return. A spokesperson for the agency was not available on Saturday.

If she is permitted to file a new application, Kouptie said she'd like to come back under the federal skilled worker program, which accepts applications from professionals such as doctors, dentists, restaurant managers, chefs, electricians and plumbers.

However, applications for the program may take as long as six months to process, according to the Government of Canada's website.

Kouptie said she still has a work permit that's valid until 2020.

"I'm excellent in what I'm doing, and this is what I know how to do," she said. "I just want them to give me a chance to come back."

A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada was not available for comment Saturday.

Bridgette Kouptie serves African, Caribbean and Haitian dishes based on her own unique recipes. She says she's facing deportation to Belgium after failing to note she had dual citizenship when she applied for refugee status. (Africa Slow Food)

'She's the heart'

Soumare said Kouptie has become an important part of the community, dedicating herself to feeding the homeless and offering employment to other new Canadians.

Eileen Goodwin said she met Kouptie almost five years ago while she was volunteering at Matthew House, which provides temporary shelter for refugee claimants.

The two have been friends ever since, and Goodwin said she doesn't know what the restaurant's fate will be without Kouptie.

"She's the heart. She's the person that people go to see," she said. "If she's not cooking, she's out talking to you. She's an amazing personality."

Soumare said the restaurant will likely need someone to step in as a temporary chef, though she's not sure whether such a person can be found.

"We will fight to keep this restaurant open," she said. "We are giving quality food, and we want to continue."