Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Antwan Jones Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Antwan Jones , appreciate you joining us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

Ideas are just ideas until you take the steps to make it a reality. Sometimes along the journey there are pit stops, but it’s up to us to continue the race towards our reality and goals! As a hobby I have always loved cooking, trying new ingredients and entertaining family and friends. Back in 2011 I was part owner of an online clothing store, it was my first business venture as a young entrepreneur. Fashion was an interest of mine, but it was not something I was totally passionate about compared to cooking. One of my close friends Nic saw that cooking was a true passion of mine and suggested I start looking into making that a business career instead of what I was doing at the time. It took the failure of the online store for me to really focus on what I wanted to do in life. Sharing my passion for cooking was the answer. I started my journey in the food industry by coming up with concepts for names that would work on social media and maybe even a food truck someday. As a home cook I wanted to take this passionate hobby to the next level. I spent a couple years learning the food industry, becoming a better cook, learning food photography and video editing. Since I was not formally trained as a Chef it was important for me to learn more about cooking and improving my skill. People eat with their eyes first, so with that in mind my focus began to shift towards making my recipe creations look aesthetically pleasing but also taste just as good as it looks. Creating dishes that bring family and friends together is my love language. That love language created Eats with Twan in 2020. I would create recipes and post the finished product online to share my creations. People started to notice my creations and my social media pages began to gain traction. The pandemic hit which forced the world to stop. During quarantine I would still create recipes and post photos but felt it was time to go a little further for more exposure. I created a YouTube page to show people more in-depth step by step recipe tutorials beyond just a food picture and the initial response was great. That decision to start a Youtube page helped expose my brand Eats with Twan. It was a natural progression. I started with an Idea, studied the industry, started planning what I wanted to share, and then executed my vision. That drive and passion for constant growth allowed me to be featured on Bravo’s Top Chef and the opportunity for content creation partnerships with Brands such as Ninja Kitchen.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Antwan Jones but everyone calls me Chef Twan. Eats with Twan is my brand. I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD but currently living in sunny Los Angeles, CA. I started in the Food industry all from a passionate hobby. It took the failure of a previous business venture for me to realize where I belong. I’m currently a recipe developer and food content creator. I post step to step recipe tutorials on my Youtube page. My goal is to share my recipes with the world and to get people in the kitchen. I want people to learn that they don’t have to be a trained chef to take home cooking to the next level. With some basic fundamentals and new ingredients they will be a star in the kitchen. Cooking is fun and it brings people together. Good eats with family and friends are the moments I live for and want to share with the world.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn that failure was bad. Dissolving my part of an online clothing store was a low point in my life. I felt defeated, and didn’t want to be a failure. Let’s be honest no one wants to fail at anything but the lessons learned from that failure better prepared me for the next lesson, and helped me become stronger. There will always be challenges which build us. If there are never any failures or things to challenge us how would we grow? Unlearning those things that held me back, helped me grow.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Being relatable and being myself has helped me build my reputation. Understanding the market and my core audience is important. I love seafood but I know some of my followers may have a food allergy, therefore having alternative recipe options was important. For example, I recently made a Black Garlic pasta, the recipe calls for shrimp but could be switched for shiitake mushrooms for my vegetarians or chicken for those who don’t eat seafood. That allows me to keep the core of who I am in my recipes but also understanding the market.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eatswithtwan.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/eatswithtwan?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatswithtwan?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@EatswithTwan

Image Credits
Food Photograpy – Antwan Jones Eats with Twan Photos of Antwan Jones – Taken by Amina Touray Photography