Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anthony & Maricela Smock, owners of Culturally Flavored Wings, located in La Puente, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We own a Wing business designed to be family-friendly with something for everyone and easy on the pockets at the same time. Understanding the hard-working, our family, and our circumstance helped inspire the menu. It made it easy to come up with a menu for a family that has different food tastes and needs and added great finger foods that even a toddler can enjoy, and we know this thanks to our five-year-old, best food taster ever!
Tell us about yourself
We are a blended family that loves food. Although food has always been a part of my life, it wasn't until recent years that I learned that it was my outlet for happiness and a better life. In our household, we love sports and, more importantly, football. Well, my wife and I do anyways, and our kids love the food that comes with game day, which is how the business started. I was going through a career change at that time and coming to the realization that we could not afford the high cost of the big-name places. I decided to get creative with our wing night by creating the sauce, and then the magic got started. With my wife's support, we started the business, one sauce at a time. There is just something about being able to create something so good that it makes your insides smile. Having the ability or skillset to make a sauce and create it from scratch or coming up with a possibility of a flavor really gets my jets going. I'm always seeing things on television from these food places that just make no sense to me or are no way affordable nor enough food to feed a family. Having a big family in our home, we know firsthand how much of a struggle it is to find good food for a family of 9 at a wallet-friendly price. For this reason, we do what we do.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Wow, this is a tough one; however, after discussing this question with my wife, we both agree there were many times when we both wanted to give up due to doubt, lack of patience, lack of money to keep investing, but overcoming those feeling and continuing to moving forward was the biggest accomplishment. Getting out of our way did volumes for us and our business.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing that comes with the territory is trust. When you're dealing with food, you have to get people to trust you before they eat your food and then keep their trust so that they continue to eat your food. We pride ourselves on being interpersonal with our customers because when you make the transition from what you're used to eating to start trying new things, that says a lot. We don't take it for granted; we appreciate the leap of trust and do our best to provide a great experience because they could have easily chosen our competitor, but they chose us, and we would love for them to keep choosing us.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Trust yourself, be patient, and keep going even when you feel like you won't make it.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Thanks to what we've been able to create with the wings, we decided to expand our wing menu to a Culturally Inspired Catering Menu. Family-inspired, we have our family's favorites on the menu, from classic Fettuccine Alfredo to traditional Tri Trip Steak.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://culturallyflavoredwings.info/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theflavormix/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culturallyflavoredwings/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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