We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Grace Disu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Grace below.
Grace, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?
Failure is inevitable. We have all experienced moments where we missed the mark but hopefully learned a new lesson in the process. My first opportunity to be a vendor for a lounge was quite terrible. I spent about $250 on groceries and made $45 that night. The sales did not even come from the guests, they came from the lounge staff. What I actually learned that night was the priceless value of networking. I had to change my way of thinking for that night to investing instead of profit. That night I met one of the best Djs in Houston, @richlifestone, and he posted my food on his instagram story. It was such an exciting moment for me despite not making any money that night. When I came back to sell food again, I was nervous and scared that I would fail again, but I actually sold out. J Stone shouted me out all night on the mic during his set, which encouraged people to check me out. Then moving forward, I became more confident and continued to sell out
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.
I am Grace Disu, the CEO and Head Chef of Grace’s Kitchen Services. I got into the hospitality food service industry back in 2019, and recently went full time earlier this year. I provide catering and meal prep packages along with private and group cooking lessons. Each order allows your personal preferences and accommodations to low carb substitutes. I am most proud of the reactions I receive after people taste my food because you really have not experienced Houston if you haven’t tried Grace’s Kitchen, and not the one on Kirby! What sets me apart from the rest are my Nigerian cultural food infusions. Something you’ve never had mixed with something you’ve always had like my signature Suya pasta or Suya rice.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
I always had a passion for making home cooked meals. It started as a hobby, creating unique dishes and experimenting with natural ingredients in my kitchen. Friends and family loved my cooking and encouraged me to sell them.
In 2019, I decided to turn my hobby into a side hustle. I set up an instagram business page and started selling my plates to coworkers at both of my jobs. I used my evenings and weekends to make and create different low carb meals.
The first key milestone came during the summer in 2019. I participated in a local Houston festival, where my keto plates sold quicker than expected. The positive feedback and increased orders boosted my confidence and visibility. I reinvested the profits into better supplies and branding so people would remember who I was.
In 2021, I secured a Culinary Arts teaching position where I was able to showcase my recipes to my students while growing my social media presence. I loved having the opportunity to cook at work and have access to commercial cooking equipment. The students and staff actually became my source of feedback which increased my self confidence to grow my business. But honestly I was not fulfilled with the job and later decided to resign and take a chance on myself through networking.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients can vary based on industry, target audience, and specific business strategies. The most effective sources of new clients for me has been public vending that has led to enormous word of mouth and referrals. Public vending has opened so many doors of opportunity for me and has drastically increased repeat business for me. When you finally discover that your target audience is people you don’t know, then you will consistently put great effort into create lasting first impressions with each new client.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_graceskitchen_?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graceskitchencateringHouston?mibextid=LQQJ4d&rdid=XExmI688Fkyhbvru&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2FFBWpkN3cGrAASCKG%2F%3Fmibextid%3DLQQJ4d
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/grace-s-kitchen-services-rosenberg?osq=graces+kitchen&override_cta=Get+pricing+%26+availability
Image Credits
Tiffany King