Today we’d like to introduce you to Zita Smith-Stephens.
Zita, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In Sept of 2014 after a major job disappointment, a friend suggested that I bring some meals up to her job and sell them. I had been in financial services business with my husband for over 7 years selling life insurance, investments and recruiting other agents, I was overworked, burned out and had no time to spend with my then 1 yr old daughter.
In 2012 I left the field with the financial services business and became a support agent to my husband. Being the ambitious go-getter, ‘gotta be doing something in the world’ type of person that I am, I decided a year and a half later once my then toddler was in preschool full time, that I wanted to enter the workforce again and get a regular 9-5p job.
After stumbling upon a banking opportunity, I got hired for a very nice position within a banking center on the gold coast! I was so excited to start this new venture but was immediately let down after getting hired, only to have a new federal banking law ” Dodd Frank Act” prevent me from getting the job ( I had to let go of rental property during the banking crisis) and the offer was rescinded.
It’s 2014 and I am more deflated than ever. One week later, while feeling bad at my best friend’s house, she says, “Hey, you cook really well, bring some dinners to my job. People only eat the junk in the neighborhood, bring one of the dishes you make really well”!!. She grabbed an envelope and did some scratch math on the envelope and we came up with the cost of the dinner.
That dinner was my Lemon Oregano Roasted Chicken with Vesuvio potatoes, dill rice, and a Meditteranean vegetable medley. I bought those meals to her job on the first day of fall 2014 and I sold out! ZitaCooks ‘Meals on the Go’ was born. I posted online on my personal FB page about the menu and received overwhelming feedback.
Here I am 3 1/2 years later and ZitaCooks is now doing catering for intimate gatherings, dinner receptions, weddings, and corporate catering for Amtrak Corporation and Namaste Inc. to name a few. We are still doing the Meals on the Go mobile lunch deliveries, 3 times a week. I will launch Clean Eats Meal Prep by ZitaCooks in April 2018. People are looking for healthier meal options, mainly low carb & vegan and vegetarian options.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. The rising cost of food, staying competitive, the fickleness of people. There are so many bigger players in this food arena, esp in Chicago. You have restaurants, food trucks, other entrepreneurs in the small catering space, it is very competitive. Sometimes is a feast and then there is famine.
I have had times where I had to pay my worker/drivers and not know if I would have enough orders to warrant paying them that day but I had to have them there just in case I sold out. There have been times when the orders didn’t come in as expected but I still had to pay my assistants/drivers anyway.
Social media has also been a struggle because as basically a soloprenuer, I have to create menu, order inventory, purchase it, cook the food, deliver it to customers, send out invoices, all the back-end work, customer service, client procurement is all on me so finding time to take bomb photos and keep up on social media can be daunting. We live in a world where if you don’t have a social presence, YOU DON”T EXIST.
Please tell us about ZitaCooks Catering (ZitaCooks Meals on the Go & Clean Eats Meal Prep by ZitaCooks).
It has always been my desire to create a custom “boutique” experience for every client. We take the time to get to know the client, find out exactly what type of experience they want to have and then customize it to fit their vision, tastes and then budget. We love this approach versus a “throw a menu at you type of approach’ which you can find anywhere.
ZitaCooks Catering specializes in contemporary American cuisine with a global influence along w/ modern takes on classics! All our cuisine is made with bold flavors, fresh ingredients, fresh herbs! A customized boutique catering experience is what sets us apart. Your event is special and should reflect a personalized menu suited just for you!! If you love a unique and inspiring food experience, ZitaCooks catering is IT.
I cannot say enough about the power of WORD OF MOUTH. So many people want to help create economic growth/empowerment within the Black community so they are already willing to support their own. All they expect is that you provide them with an excellent product and amazing customer service and they are YOURS forever.
The LOYALTY amongst my clients is what I love and I do my best to ALWAYS take care of them. People want to feel like they are special and I make my clients feel like I’m cooking just for them. Special requests, additions, substitutions are all accommodated for. FLEXIBILITY in handling various tastes and preferences make a small business owner like myself stand out.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my favorite memories from childhood is going out to eat with my mom. She was a single mother who always worked at least 2 jobs. I was raised by my maternal grandmother. I remember when I did get to spend quality time with my mom, she would take me out to a lot of nice “Sit down” restaurants as well called them.
I remember going to this one Greek style type diner. I loved it because they had complete dinner, where you got rolls with butter, creamy lemon chicken with rice soup, Breaded veal cutlets with mashed potatoes and veggie and a dessert. I was ordering breaded veal at 5 years old. These memories cultivated my love for food and I didn’t even know it.
Little did I know that I was learning table etiquette, manners, and how to interact with ppl (which is probably why I got into sales) I had an early start in making eye contacts and making requests. I loved this part of my childhood. I always looked forward to the weekend dinner dates with my mom.
Pricing:
- All Meals on the Go items are on average $8.99 per dinner.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zitacooks.com
- Phone: 312-545-6923
- Email: zitacooks@gmail.com
- Instagram: @zitacooks
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/zitacooks
Image Credit:
Crystal Allen-Touch the Sky Events, Saul Garza-Photographer/Videographer
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