"Listen, you're awesome, and people need to know what it is you do." - Charlene Johnson-Hadley
Tanesha Jordan, Tamekah Bost, Crystal Ashby, Charisse McGill, and Melissa Fernando are featured in this week's Philly Grub newsletter. Get to know them here!
This week, I’m doing things a little differently. Instead of just reporting on Philly food news, I’m dedicating this newsletter to a few young women of color who are breaking through in the Philadelphia area’s food and beverage world. Through hard work and unbridled ambition, their food businesses have taken off. These women food entrepreneurs in Philadelphia are awesome and you need to know what it is they do (to steal a quote from Charlene Johnson-Hadley). I think you’re going to like their stories…
Tanesha Jordan - Banana Crumble/Crumble Factory/House of Krustaceans
Tanesha Jordan, 36, started Banana Crumble in 2012. She realized working in the health field was not her true passion. Making banana puddings and other desserts for people truly made her happy. She made them different (“non-traditional”) by crumbling cookies, cakes, and eclairs on top of them. People raved, word spread, and her creations often sold out. Fast forward to the present, she has 32 wholesale customers (and growing!) and is on the brink of opening a commissary kitchen and storefront at 2004 Delmar Drive in Folcroft, PA. She will use this location to sell her popular puddings and desserts (cakes, cheesecakes, and ice creams!) and teach classes to those wanting to open a small dessert-based food business. As if that isn’t already ambitious enough, last year, she opened House of Krustaceans, a seafood restaurant in Upper Darby during the pandemic! This woman is one to watch in the Philly food scene.
Tamekah Bost - The Better Box LLC
I have been following Tamekah Bost, 26, very closely since she opened her virtual kitchen for The Better Box LLC in 2018. To say this lady knows how to grow a business is an understatement. From a ghost kitchen (delivery only) to a food truck to brick-and-mortar stores, Tamekah has built a unique brand serving non-traditional egg rolls and cheesesteaks with an Asian twist. She recently opened a location inside of the Shop-Rite in Cheltenham. At 8601 Frankford Ave in Northeast Philly, the original storefront, which opened in 2019, is still very popular. A second location at the Shop-Rite in Southwest Philly is also doing very well. Another storefront that opened prior to the pandemic in Fairmount is permanently closed as she transitions the business model to takeout only and expansion of the kiosk model.
Crystal Ashby - Crystal’s Comfort Food
Crystal Ashby, 33, is not a formally trained cook; she simply cooks from the heart. Her passion for soulful, comfort food and cooking for her family prompted her to start her own food business specializing in chicken wings and wing sauce products. Her desire to succeed led her to compete on The Great Food Truck Race Season 12 on Food Network. While the team did not win, they gained notoriety and a lot of experience running a food truck business. Now based in Delaware, Crystal’s Comfort Food is getting close to opening a brick-and-mortar location at 426 E Main Street in Middletown, DE. Her dream is to have several restaurants, grow the sauce line, and eventually expand into frozen food products. She wants to walk in the supermarket and see a Crystal’s Comfort Food product in every aisle. I hope so, too!
Charisse McGill - Lokal Artisan Foods
Under the name Lokal Artisan Foods, Charisse McGill, 39, started selling French toast bites at festivals and markets in the city in 2018. Effortlessly making a name for herself in the local area as the “French toast bae,” her drive to grow is as fierce as ever. She recently collaborated with Doylestown Brewing Company to create an ale inspired by her French toast bites, becoming the first woman of color with her very own signature beer in Pennsylvania. The beer has been selling briskly ever since it launched. She also offers a French toast flavored seasoning, which she sells on her website to make anything taste like French toast! Charisse also worked with Bean2Bean Coffee Co. to launch a French Toast Bites coffee. Last but not least, she’s developed a retail-friendly bacon-on-a-stick product available at grocery stores very soon. What else? Let’s all stay tuned.
Melissa Fernando - Sri’s Company
Melissa Fernando is one to watch bringing Sri Lankan food to an already wonderfully diverse food city like Philadelphia. Currently operating as a pop-up at such events like The Sisterly Love Food Fair and partnering with other food businesses, her food has quickly earned a delicious reputation. Offering food from Sri Lanka, inspired by her grandmother’s cooking, Fernando is ready to put it on the map in Philadelphia. Sri Lankan food combines ingredients and techniques from India’s and Southeast Asia’s cuisines, with curries as a prevalent dish. Follow Sri’s Company on Facebook and Instagram to see where she is popping up next. Let’s hope a Sri Lankan restaurant is in her future, too.
These are just five women of color who are bringing fierce flavor and energy to Philadelphia’s food scene. I know there are so many others, and I wish I had time to highlight them all, but follow these ladies and let me know who else is hustling and I should be following. Contact me phillygrub at gmail dot com.
ICYMI: Philly’s Soul Food Scene
A series of three virtual sessions has been spotlighting the role that black women had in creating and evolving Philadelphia’s soul food scene. The third, and final, will take place this Wednesday, March 3rd. If you haven’t signed up, I highly encourage you to do so. The speakers and panelists are the premier experts on soul food in Philadelphia as well as women food entrepreneurs and food experts. Do not miss it!
That’s all I have for this week. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. And let me know if you see anything interesting going on that should be talked about.
Until next week — much love!
Marilyn
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