We recently connected with Tyler Talbert and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Tyler thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Starting Only the Food and giving 110% was a big risk for me! I did not know how I would do as a new business owner, and I was afraid that people may not believe in my brand as much as I do. After about two years of doing catering events and selling platters I knew I could do more, and I wanted more! I moved my family to Atlanta, GA because I felt like it was the Mecca for small black owned businesses. I had faith that the risk was going to be worth the reward, and it was! I pushed to be the best version of myself! I made myself available for opportunities and most importantly I stayed consistent in perfecting my craft. I am not perfect, and I am still taking risks every day because I believe I have what it takes, and my food speaks for itself! I am quickly approaching my year anniversary as the CEO of OTF, and I have accomplished many things! One of my favorites being that I am now a private celebrity chef! For me it has been a positive life changing risk and I’m excited to continue to grow!
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 back background and context?
My name is Chef T I am originally from Washington DC, and I am the CEO of Only the Food (OTF). I have been in the kitchen watching my grandparents and parents cook for as long as I can remember. I knew that I was a true foodie at a young age! Coming up with different recipes and flavors has always enticed me, and when I became mature enough to cook on my own, I knew one day I would open my own restaurant! In 2019 is when I decided to make my dream a reality by selling platters to my local community, while living in upstate NY. If you don’t know much about the area, I can tell you it’s not an exciting place to be so I had to do something that could help my family and I get out of there as well as follow my passion at the same time. I started off by calling my business Ty’s Tasty Temptations and we succeeded for a few months, but we did not remain consistent and eventually my passion for cooking turned right back into a dream. I was not prepared, I did not know the amount of time, effort, good days and bad days that it took to be a successful business owner. Thankfully my family and I were able to get out of that area and move to Atlanta, GA. Once we arrived it was just like a breath of fresh air and a new start! After settling in I knew this was the place for my dream to succeed! I started Only the Food on December 2nd, 2021, and I haven’t looked back since! I worked hard on branding, getting my LLC, networking, and most importantly believing! As we are going into our second year of business it has been nothing but positive responses. Only the Food provides soul food dishes with a millennial twist! As well as vegan options, that’s what makes us different! We stay true to those recipes passed down through generations, but we elevate those flavors and focus on attention to detail because presentation is everything! I am most proud of our consistency and willingness to learn and do better. We have catered some of the most amazing private dinners as well as cooked for a few celebrities and other household names. When you think of Only the Food, I want you envision family, comfort, consistency, and most importantly quality fresh food!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy that has helped tremendously with growing clientele is social media! The two biggest platforms that we use are Instagram and TikTok. Creating reels and videos consistently is what helps us thrive! Our audience is growing especially from doing voiceovers on our videos and picking trending background music.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
The book that has significantly impacted my entrepreneurial thinking is Feeding the Soul by Tabitha Brown. In this book she talks about her personal experiences in becoming a successful entrepreneur and the one thing that she continued to emphasize was her consistency and willingness to learn. She would take time to educate herself on different things that would gear her business to success. That has stuck with me and has allowed me to understand that nothing happens overnight but if you maintain consistent you will succeed.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @otf_llc
- Facebook: @otf_llc
- Other: TikTok: @otf_llc