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

Alright, Jennifer thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Hi! My name is Jen! My family has been hosting Sunday night dinner for nearly 3 decades. It started with my Grandparents in 1996. They along with my Aunt, Uncle, Mom, Dad and us three girls, were finally living in the same town! Every Sunday we would go to Nana and Big Daddy’s house where she’d cook us a delicious meal, sit around the table for hours, then end up eating dessert in front of reruns of the Lawrence Welk show.

As my Grandparents got older and we moved my mom’s mother to town, my parents took over hosting at our house. Several years passed and we were all one big happy family every Sunday night! When I say every Sunday, I mean it! No one was forced to come or made to feel guilty if we didn’t, we just did. It’s what we do! We WANTED to be there, and if someone wasn’t, they were missed. As the years went on, we added new husbands to the group, my grandparent’s passed away, and eventually, Mom and Daddy became “Lolli and Poppy”!
Here we are, another decade later, and we’re still gathering at moms every Sunday night.

Things look a little different than they did 20 years ago, but the love and tradition is still there. We are chaotic, we are loud, we are messy, but that is us! We laugh, we cry, we nap… we cook, play games, and watch endless kid performances where it is mandatory you have a ticket and an assigned seat. The door is always open, everyone is welcome. We’ll cram as many people around an 8 top table as possible, then overflow into the kitchen and foyer! Nothing is ever fancy. The table is usually set by 10 yr olds using everything in Lolli’s china cabinet. Think paint your own pottery grandma gifts… you know, multi colored squirrels, dragons, candle holders, etc. Vanity paper napkins, allllll the tiny salt and pepper shakers, faux floral candle rings, and as many mis-matched candles as they can find. Mix in actual nice plates, crystal dishes & cutlery… it’s priceless.

Enter Tiffany

“And how long have you two known each other? You must be longtime friends!” “Oh…, just a year ago!” Yep! Tiffany and I met at a previous job. We instantly bonded and became great friends. When I started dreaming up Sunday Night Dinner, ‘MY store’ morphed into ‘OUR store’, and things just fell into place! We both had similar up bringing, deep roots with our families, and the craving to do our own thing. Tiffany is the Yin to my Yang, the Lucy to my Ethel, and my new sister. Our goal is to bring modern and unique shopping to the city where we live ourselves. We felt like Spring Hill had a need for us, and we were happy to fill it! Meeting the community, sharing stories and inspiring generations of memories, gathered around the table is what we do.

How’d you meet your business partner?

This is one of my favorite stories! I was Regional Manager for another company, thus in charge of hiring. Tiffany came to us for an interview and I immediately loved her! I even put a “heart” on her resume :) Welp, she turned us down bc we didn’t offer her enough. SAD!! A month or so went by and unknowingly to me, my boss reached back out to her and offered her what she wanted. Two weeks later we were working together and instantly bonded!! When I decided to start my own business, I had no intentions of taking Tiffany with me. I couldn’t! I couldn’t afford to hire anyone ;P God works in mysterious ways and has a way of putting people in your life when you need them, and provides along the way. The word “we” kept popping up in our conversations, WE got more and more excited about the shop, and one day I just said “Should WE do this together????” A squealing “ackk!! I don’t know?? YES???!!” From that moment on, we did everything in our power to make “Dreams Come True 2022″… and the rest is history!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Consistency & Authenticity, Do not try and be anyone else. Don’t try and have someone else’s style. JUST BE YOU. Funny, stupid, awkward, whatever! Just put yourself out there and be YOU. Tiffany and I rarely watch our videos before we post them bc we know we will just pick ourselves a part. Shoot it, post it, move on! Our followers love us for us and that excites them to come in the shop and see what we have. They also know they’re going to get the same people they see on social media. We are truly excited and happy to see everyone that walks through our doors!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oursundaynightdinner.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/oursundaynightdinner
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/oursundaynightdinner

Image Credits
Family photos by Amy Miller Photography