Today we’d like to introduce you to Tayler Walker.
Tayler, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m originally from Maryland, but moved to Atlanta as a child and grew up on the east side of town in the Decatur/Lithonia area. As a kid, I was very creative and would always try to mix different foods together. I loved cooking and would bake goods every day for my neighbors while in middle school and high school. One of my favorite things to eat together was vanilla ice cream with cinnamon toast crunch on top, beginning my love for Cereal and Cream. Life, however, took me on a different pathway, and I attended Georgia State University for nursing.
After working as a registered nurse in multiple intensive care units, I enrolled at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for my Master’s in Nurse Anesthesia. Upon graduating and becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, I returned to Atlanta to practice. With the new-found free time, I decided to pursue other endeavors, such as Cereal and Cream and the Tayler-Karen Hair Collection, that were near and dear to my heart. Ice cream has always been a love of mines since childhood, and after trying multiple recipes off Pinterest and blending nearly everything I could find, Cereal and Cream was officially born.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Cereal and Cream was originally planned to be a storefront in 2018. However, several factors: 1. mainstream real estate companies overlooking the concept and refusing to rent spaces, 2. being unable to receive funding for a start-up company, 3. not having adequate business resources or advice for minority-owned start-up businesses, were all barriers to getting started.
The above-combined factors led me in October of 2019 to make the decision to make the concept into a food truck after searching for more than six months for a location. We started the beginning of the season in March 2020 at the Atlanta Brunch Festival and were immediately shut down afterwards due to COVID 19. The truck would sit until July of 2020 when we were finally able to take the truck out for the first time due to on-going COVID concerns. Since Covid-19 began, more than 440,000 black-owned businesses have had to shutter their doors. We are fortunate to have had the support that we do.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Cereal and Cream – what should we know?
Cereal and Cream is a cereal-infused ice cream dessert truck that specializes in ice cream treats, milkshakes, and bowls of cereal. We use a special machine to blend the cereal directly into the ice cream without losing the crunchiness of the cereal. Customers get the effect of their favorite cereals blended into “milk” (ice cream) upon taking their first bite. We offer six base flavors of vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, vegan vanilla, vegan banana pudding, and no sugar added Vanilla that customers can blend over 30 different cereals and toppings into. We also offer completely vegan options for milkshakes, as well. We are known for creating amazing tasting ice cream treats and milkshakes.
As a company, I’m most proud of our ability to persevere. Between challenges with getting started and ongoing COVID concerns, we have been able to meet the challenges of the current pandemic while bringing a little bit of light, laughter, and fun to people’s lives during this time. Ice cream makes people happy, and if we can make even one person happy during these times where mental health is so important, our goal is accomplished.
Cereal and Cream is set apart by our commitment to quality, great customer service, and a great tasting product. We try with every sale to make sure the customer has a great product and an enjoyable experience. Quality is extremely important to me, and I would rather not sell something, then sell something that isn’t a good product.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First and foremost, God deserves credit for allowing me to see the idea and bring it to fruition. All praises to him first! I would have to say, although, there isn’t one specific person, any and all business owners who gave advice, friends who kept me focused and motivated, and my family for supporting my dreams and teaching me that I can do anything I set my mind to, all deserve credit.
Pricing:
- Custom Ice Cream Dessert 6.00 + tax (example: customer chooses their own toppings and mix-ins)
- Pre-Mix Ice Cream Desserts and Milkshakes 8.00 = tax (example: the “Downtown” ice cream dessert or milkshake)
- Bowl of Cereal with 2 Cereals, Choice of Milk 6.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cerealncream.com (Will be finished August 18th, if article is published before then)
- Phone: 1-833-885-4247
- Email: cerealncream@gmail.com
- Instagram: cerealandcream
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cerealncream
Image Credit:
Photographer: Yabi Demissie (photos in green shirt)
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