We recently connected with Markita Adair-Crudup and have shared our conversation below.

Markita, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

I am currently planning a raffle that will benefit Alzheimer’s and Dementia research. This cause is close to my heart as I had two grandparents to suffer from this disease. My grandmother passed away earlier this year and my grandfather has been gone for 13 years now. This disease takes a toll on the whole family when a member is diagnosed. Being able to help in some small way to help researchers and doctors better understand and possibly fight this disease, I think, would make them both proud.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I got into the culinary industry professionally about 15 or 16 years ago. I started out in a small restaurant but eventually found my way into the catering scene thanks to a former professor. I did this until 2017 when my husband and I had our youngest and then took a break for a bit. When the pandemic hit of course everything stopped. No one was having parties. I started doing live cooking shows on Facebook at the suggestion of a friend and that was when “Kita’s Kitchen” was born. In 2021, I got my business license and started booking events. Fast forward to October 2022 I’ve started having to turn things down and I’ve had to stop my weekly meal prep orders because my calendar is just full and I’m only one person. I do have a small staff of people who help me when I have larger events but I’m in the kitchen doing the prep and making everything. And from scratch, might I add! It’s hard for me to delegate that part because this business really is my baby but I’m starting to loosen up a bit. I think that what sets me apart from other caterers is that I just want to share my gift and there’s so much love behind what I do. Yes, I want to be able to take care of my family and make money but that’s not my main motivation. I’m a simple woman who loves giving people great food and a smile. If we’re doing a dinner party you might catch me dancing in the kitchen. I absolutely love what I do and I’m not stopping any time soon.

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

Just being kind. I think that this basic act is whats missing from a lot of businesses. Being good to people, treating them with respect, I truly believe that this has helped me build relationships with clients and other people in this industry.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Definitely word of mouth. I get messages all the time from new and potential clients “oh so and so referred you” or “I got your number from a colleague”. I love it because it means I’m doing something right and people enjoy what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fromkitaskitchen.com
• Instagram: @fromkitaskitchen
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100077911981785/

Image Credits
Premier Branding & Marketing Solutions