Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef Karen.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Like so many others, I grew up surrounded by talented cooks. As a young adult, I started catering part-time in addition to working my full-time corporate job. My goal was to eventually transition to catering full-time, but as we entered a recession, I made the choice to retire from my corporate position and attend culinary school at Atlanta Technical College. While in school and learning so much about nutrition and local eating, I started thinking about a restaurant that focused on local eating. I fell in love with sweet potatoes as a child. My mother was diabetic and it was something she prepared on a regular basis. I think that is why subconsciously, over the years, I had collected so many sweet potato recipes. The location of the restaurant was easy. I had always loved Stone Mountain Village and that was the first place I looked. My husband and I purchased a house which had been zoned commercial, renovated it, and the rest is history.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has always been a challenge. I believe any business is, but especially the food industry. Attending school gave me some of the basics but couldn’t prepare me for the real-life obstacles associated with running a business. Staffing is the biggest issue and I have learned over the years it is a common problem. As with anything else, you need a dedicated team. One person can’t do it all. I wear many hats and it does become overwhelming. Payroll, marketing, menu preparation, inventory and now the pandemic.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sweet Potato Cafe story. Tell us more about the business.
Sweet Potato Cafe is a full-service farm-to-table restaurant with its own onsite garden. Housed in a craftsmen-style home in the Historic Village of Stone Mountain, we will be celebrating our ninth year of operation this December. Our goal has always been to make our customers feel comfortable and to be treated as guests entering our home. We have been told, “it is like coming to Grandma’s house,” which is what I wanted to achieve. Even though many of our menu items contain the nutritious sweet potato, it does have variety. We have dishes that are gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian friendly. The restaurant is especially known for its fried green tomatoes, which were awarded the 2017/2018 “100 Plates Locals Love” distinction by the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Tourism Division. We are very involved with our seasonal local farmer’s market, partner with local farmers, and currently a Georgia Grown member. We offer take-out brunch every other Sunday. We produce a Sweet Potato Marmalade we sell at the restaurant and can be ordered online through Walmart. As a black-owned and woman-owned restaurant, I am very proud of my diverse customer base and the support that has been given.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I believe we have been lucky in many regards or as my 95 year old Aunt would put it, “God has been watching over us.” Either way, I believe for someone who had no extensive business experience, we have come a long way and I pray about it all the time. Especially with the Pandemic, we could have been one of those restaurants that didn’t make it, but we were able to carry on with little transition in the way of carry-out and curbside delivery. Being a small venue, there has been many days when I wondered where the money would come from for payroll, product, etc., but luck or God found a way. Being two blocks from one of the largest parks in the country has definitely helped us. Deciding to focus on the sweet potato, can that be considered luck? Was it luck to step out on faith? Was it luck to have the foresight to open a farm-to-table restaurant? My Aunt has always told me that God would not have brought me this far to let me down or let me go. He put me here for a purpose and I am fulfilling that purpose. Sweet Potato Café has come a long way and I have been unlucky with many of the decisions I have made. I have been unlucky with some of the people I have put my trust into helping run this business. I have been unlucky with some of the people I have hired, but we are still here and I do thank God and all the people who have supported us. Over the years, we have grown such a wonderful regular base and I thank God for them every day. During this Pandemic, they have supported us no matter what and never fail to let us know how glad they are that we are still here. Was it luck to have a customer, who had never been at the restaurant before, want to pray over me? She claimed walking into the café made her feel welcomed and persuaded her to pray for our continuation as a business. Perhaps luck has helped us sustain ourselves in this small ever changing Southern community, but I would prefer to look at it as God putting us where we belong.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5377 Manor Drive, Stone Mountain, GA 30-083
- Website: www.thesweetpotatocafe.net
- Phone: 770-559-9030
- Email: sweetpotatocafe@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetpotatocafe/
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