Community Highlights: Meet McKenzie and Madison Tukes of Infusion Crab ATL

Today we’d like to introduce you to McKenzie and Madison.

Hi McKenzie and Madison, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Our mother verbally communicates with us regarding the importance of educating ourself daily & feeding the brain as much knowledge as possible, set goals, and also watch your surroundings for safety reasons. OMG this is moms everyday speech “people do not walk around with a sign on their head saying I molest kids, I am a killer or I kidnap people.  So be cautions daily and trust your navigation system which is your gut.  God gave us this tool, us it”  She also ask questions almost daily. The initial thought that brought our soulful seafood restaurant to life was me (McKenzie) being upfront and honest with our mom during one of our monthly family roundtable meetings.  I flat out told my mom as a 7TH grader, that college may not be for me. She looked at me and said “why, I always wanted my kids to attend an HBCU so I can turn up watching the band & dance team.  However, you both have your own individual mindsets. I want you both happy & at peace doing what you love. You have one life, live it up and follow your dreams”.  I was shocked, I thought she was going to fuss LOL.  She laid down a few private rules.  She also mentioned “By your tenth-grade year of high school.  I need both of you to hand me five business plans or twenty college applications”. My mother raised us as a single mother for the most part. We witnessed her work long hours.  We use to go to work with her once a month while she held a Management/Vice President role at a Corporate office.  We would play around in her office as she lead meetings. We would be out on the floor talking to her team. I remember saying “I can’t wait to own my own company”.  My mom said out loud in front of everyone.  “Yes, focus on becoming your own boss baby”. I think that statement stuck with me.  Becoming an entrepreneur I feel will break years of generational curse for my family. My mom stated “if I can give a company 100 percent. I will go a Million percent for my babies” and we believe her.

Madison my younger sister enjoys artwork, doing hair, she’s an animal lover and she love food (good cooking).  She would like to own a hair salon, a veterinarian clinic, clothing company and a restaurant. I (MCKENZIE) have dreams of owning my own mall, getting into Real estate, owning a daycare, strip mall for a hair salon, becoming a private chef and having multiple restaurants statewide God willing.  My mother said “WOW, big dreams. I love it. Let’s start with what you both know how to do now which is (Cook, Draw & Doing Hair) and let’s get a feel of how the community responds to our style of cooking”. My mom mentioned getting a jump start on building our credit score as teenagers. God willing at the age of 18, having credit established can open up opportunities for our first investment property.  My family and friends always spoke highly of the food we prepared for them during gatherings. Our mommy experienced a minor setback in life in 2019.  At that time she only told me (MCKENZIE) and my bonus dad. Our mom declined a new position with a new company in Corporate America and decided to focus solely on me and my sister goals before we graduated high school. That private setback lead us to new opportunities surrounded by new faces and new challenges. We have lived in the kitchen with our mom since we could walk. One day I asked my mom to show us how to cook seafood, we already know how to make soul food for the most part.  After posting our food on her personal IG page.  One person reached out to our mom begging for a seafood catering pans for her daughter‘s 16TH birthday celebration. Our mom let us make it. That was our first sale ($800+). Afterwards, we created an Instagram profile and she mom monitor & post at times. She posted our food pictures on Instagram to gather feedback from the public. needless to say, we became booked up for weeks. Selling plates and pans out of our family home & delivering by car.  We quickly became a hit on the Southside (Clayton Co.) and Cobb CO. (Marietta). Our customers wanted more so we asked, “mommy can we do this on a larger scale”. She said, “If you believe we can do this on a larger scale why not”. Clearly, she wasn’t going to diminish our thoughts and aspirations”. She talked it over with our Stepdad. He thought it was a great idea as well.   So, here we are.  Your Youngest Co. Owners of Infusion Crab ATL (Soul Food + Seafood = Soulful Seafood)

We started catering at the ages of 13 and 11. Currently, we’re 15 and 13 training our family (staff) how to make each food item our way at Infusion Crab ATL located in Marietta GA.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working with family is sweet and sour. Sweet being we get to spend time with our older cousins and great auntie every day but at times, we miss our friends. Our mom reminds us every time we get off track that this is our vision, our goals not hers. Work hard, play later. We facilitate team meetings (my mom is very direct & honest.  She said our communication needs improvement. We get too nerves.  She would say “This isn’t a math test.  This is your company, your goals & it’s ran our way.  You should be able to freely speak about your passion”. It doesn’t  matter how many times she say this to us.  Me, Madison and Jadin get nerves when she put us on the spot just to test us LOL. Monthly we practice on completing payroll. Honestly right now, we will continue letting our mom run payroll. It’s too much. As teenagers, we help enforce the story policy and at times, we forgot because we are teenagers trying to have fun while on the clock. Our mom looks at it as safety first than business. She don’t mind giving us and the entire staff a quick reminder, “Once you all are clocked in, we are not family, it’s business”. That’s me and my sister queue to put our phones down, carefully observe while at the front of the shop and get off Tiktok and work or clock out.  My mom is so funny even when she’s mad. The sour part of working with my family is coaching. Being the youngest of course we get nervous. Our mom makes sure to coach us when needed, she also make us feel empowered to stand on our story policy and our brand no matter how old we are. Our family know without a doubt that we love them so they aren’t as offended as they would be if they worked for a corporation when coaching is needed and Lord my mom will coach real-time or ask us to do it.  If customers are present. Mommy will let clients know that we are all family and we about to get coaching so pay us no mind LOL. My mom told us to torn in on clients who love our style of. Don’t force in the clients who complains but also is that as 360 feedback if needed.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Why did we paint our store pink?
In support of breast cancer awareness & our auntie Sharon Knox who we lost due to cancer:

Our great Aunt Sharon Knox was a beautiful spirit. She loved to cook, she loved her family, and she loved life. Aunt Sharon was a fighter of Breast cancer until the end. She never gave up, as a matter of fact I recall one conversation when she said “God chose me to fight this battle because I’m strong and I’m a fighter”. Aunt Sharon loved to talk about God and she was his personal dancer on earth. Aunt Sharon was so beautiful inside and out, she is terribly missed.

Infusion means the introduction of a new element or quality into something. When you taste our food, you are tasting quality food that’s prepared fresh every day. Every sauce is infused with our love for cooking and our passion for entrepreneurship.

Do we cook with THC/CBD? No, infused with seasoning only (teenaged establishment).

Do we serve alcohol?  No (teenaged establishment)

Infusion Crab ATL might be the first seafood restaurant that do not offer any pork products.

My sister Madison is responsible for what is now known as “Diabetical juice”. Madi’s Sip. She have multiple flavors: grape, tropical, lemonade and Alma Palmer. She also the Head Chef

I (MCKENZIE) created the house special butter sauce named after me Kenzies Infusion Mix which comes with no spice, mid or hot.  I am also the Head Chef.

Infusion Crab ATL would like to be known as your first black women-owned soulful seafood restaurant (NO PORK). Clients can build their own meals under our add-ons sections of the menu. We have a list of items which includes: cornbread dressing, turkey collards, baked chicken, B.B.Q. chicken, baked beans no pork, seafood mac n cheese, mac & cheese, yams, rice, banana pudding without bananas, banana pudding, banana pudding cheesecake ETC. (It is very important to look at the availability online by clicking on “place your to-go order” on www.infusioncrab.com as these items may be out of stock since it’s a top seller.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
We define success as working smart not hard. dedication and being okay if a company or person rejects your vision because they cannot see what our God placed in our hearts or mind. No one becomes successful overnight. Success isn’t all about money to us. It’s about family, it’s about the level of peace you have within.  Our mom is very big on us taking care of our mental health. Money-wise, every millionaire or billionaire was told “NO” a thousand times. Beyoncé didn’t just get on stage for the first time and became rich & famous. She danced her butt off around her house and she practiced for thousands of hours. President Barack Obama didn’t become the first.

African-American President just because he wanted the position. He educated himself for years, he promoted his brand and became very knowledgeable in his field. Athletes don’t go pro overnight. They condition their bodies for years. Coaches don’t become highly recommended overnight. They once played the position and it became a passion. Success comes with a lot of No’s, a lot of failing and thats okay as long as we get back up and figure it out. Success isn’t the easy way out (selling our souls or forgetting who our God is.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photo Credit – Tyson IG @throughhereyesphotogrphy