What do you do?
I am the owner of Tasty Table, which is a restaurant and catering company. I started this business about twelve years ago out of my house. I love that my business offers both catering and dine-in. I believe that this makes my customers very happy because they have an option to eat our food outside the restaurant.
How did you get your business idea?
I have worked many jobs in the restaurant industry. After getting a taste of what the restaurant industry offers, I decided to open up Tasty Table and see how far it would go. I told my partner. To give me a year to see how it goes and from there it started to be successful. I even went back to school to get my GED to help jump start my career. I love cooking so much and that’s my main reason for this business idea.
How did you make your first sale?
My first sale was really special to me. I was able to cook for my daughter’s prom, which was about 60 people. At that moment, I really got to show my skills in the kitchen. My daughter was pretty happy that she could eat some of my food at her prom. I also cooked for a wedding in 2010 which was pretty nice for my experience with catering. It also got my business more exposure.
What is unique about owning and running a business in Murfreesboro?
I would say the Blue Collar community is what’s unique about owning and running a business in Murfreesboro.
How do you advertise your business?
There are many ways that I advertise my business. I use social media, word of mouth, and getting involved in the community. I believe using all three of these is essential for running a catering business. Helping the community in any way I can and also advertising my skills is always nice.
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
I would say one thing that keeps me up at night is dealing with personal things. Having to tackle the business side of things as well as my personal life can be a struggle sometimes. However, I always find a way to balance everything.
What is one way you had to Pivot or change course to grow your business?
I would say the one thing that has affected my business is the covid pandemic. If I would have seen what covid would actually be before it happened, I might have changed the way I ran catering during covid. A lot of businesses had to shut down and that really hurt not only the economy but small businesses like myself so being able to manage more efficiently during that time would have been useful. Another thing I would change in my business is delivery.
If you could wave a magic wand and make one problem go away In your business what would it be?
I would definitely say the lack of employees. I know I started this business out of my house but since my business has been growing the need for employees is essential. I’m very picky about who I want to work for my company, so finding the right employees to help me with my business is probably one problem that I wish I could just wave a magic wand and it goes away.
If you could travel back to the day you started your business, what advice would you give yourself?
I would say not to get caught up in a group of people and really focus on the business idea at hand. Focusing on my idea as an individual and not letting other people distract you is something I would tell any business owner .
Where do you wanna go with your business?
I would love to downsize a little bit just so I have more time with my family. I would like to focus on catering. Although catering is successful at the moment I believe it has even more potential to be successful in the future if I downsize.
Helping out business owners:
What’s the one thing you’re doing right now from a marketing perspective that’s getting you more customers?
I think communication with the community and looking for opportunities is one way I get customers from a marketing perspective. I have learned that marketing yourself in the community is such a good way to connect with people while still promoting your business.
What’s one business lesson you’ve learned that you’re willing to share?
I would say to have a business mindset. There are many things you can learn with this type of mindset and if you don’t have this you can always read and find different resources to become business-oriented.
What’s a podcast book or website you recommend that inspired you to grow your business.?
A book that I would recommend is the five love languages by Gary Chapman
What do you use for your daily to-do list?
I always write my stuff down with pen and paper. I believe that’s one of the most effective ways to do a to-do list.
What social media tools do you use that other business owners could use?
A social media tool that I would recommend business owners to use would be Thryv.
Learn more about Tasty Table by visiting their website.
