Today we’d like to introduce you to Conchitha Hargrove.
Hi Conchitha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey started with a love for food, creativity, and community. Early in my career, I worked in accounting and later stepped into corporate food service operations, where I learned the systems, logistics, and discipline behind running large-scale kitchens. At the same time, I always kept a foot in entrepreneurship — from selling treats to opening my first restaurant, *Etta V’s*, inspired by my grandmother. Those experiences taught me how to blend passion with strategy.
When life shifted and I became a single parent after losing my husband, I leaned fully into my entrepreneurial spirit. I launched **Virtual Food Court**, a ghost-kitchen concept that housed dozens of delivery-only brands under one roof. It was built from the ground up — no marketing budget, just vision, resilience, and an understanding of what the community needed. Over time, one thing became clear: out of the nearly 20 concepts we offered, customers consistently gravitated toward one brand.
Instead of trying to grow everything at once, I made the strategic decision to focus on what resonated most. I rebranded Virtual Food Court into a single unified brand: **It’s About South**. This shift allowed me to strengthen the quality, streamline the experience, and build a true identity around the flavors and culture that inspired my cooking from the beginning.
Today, *It’s About South* represents more than food — it reflects heritage, community, family, and the South’s rich culinary traditions. The evolution of my business is really the evolution of my own story: trusting my instincts, learning from every stage, and continuing to build something authentic, meaningful, and rooted in who I am.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has definitely not been smooth. When I began building Virtual Food Court, I was still navigating the loss of my husband and stepping into life as a single parent, while also trying to create a business model that many people weren’t familiar with yet. Balancing personal grief, motherhood, and entrepreneurship at the same time was one of the hardest challenges I’ve faced.
Operationally, managing dozens of virtual brands under one roof — with no outside funding and no marketing budget — stretched me in every direction. There were days when orders were slow, when systems failed, when costs went up, and when I had to figure out how to keep the business running while still delivering quality.
But those challenges were also my greatest teachers. They forced me to become more strategic, more resilient, and more comfortable with pivoting. Ultimately, the struggles helped me make one of the best decisions for my business: transitioning from many brands to one strong, meaningful brand — **It’s About South**. Every obstacle shaped the clarity, focus, and purpose I have today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Alongside my work as a food entrepreneur, I’ve built a solid professional career in accounting and financial management. I specialize in cost control, forecasting, operational analysis, and creating financial systems that keep businesses running efficiently and sustainably. Over the years, I’ve worked in roles where I managed multi-million-dollar budgets, oversaw compliance, and ensured that every operational decision aligned with the financial health of the organization.
I’m known for being both detail-oriented and strategic — someone who can dive deep into the numbers but also translate them into clear, actionable plans. Whether I’m building a new process from scratch or tightening an existing one, I focus on accuracy, efficiency, and long-term stability. That skill set has helped me tremendously as an entrepreneur. When most people think about food businesses, they often focus on the creative side. What truly keeps a restaurant or kitchen alive is understanding margins, costs, systems, and financial discipline — and that’s where my background sets me apart.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve been able to blend two seemingly different worlds — the creativity of food and the precision of finance — into a career that feels aligned with who I am. The same attention to detail and structure I apply to accounting is what allowed me to build Virtual Food Court and now It’s About South in a sustainable, strategic way.
What sets me apart is that I’m not just a creator; I’m a builder. I can envision the big picture and then create the systems, processes, and financial structures that make that vision real. Not many entrepreneurs come from a finance background, and not many finance professionals have the creativity and grit required for entrepreneurship. I carry both, and that combination has been one of my greatest strengths.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something most people don’t realize is that everything I’ve built started during one of the most challenging chapters of my life — and with seven children by my side. After losing my husband, I had to figure out how to rebuild not just for myself, but for my family. What people see today — the brand, the growth, the resilience — was born out of a mother trying to create stability, opportunity, and a future for her kids.
What’s even more special is that all of them help out in the business from time to time. They’ve grown up watching me build this from the ground up, and seeing them step into the work, even in small ways, makes the journey feel full circle. My brand isn’t just a business — it’s a legacy that started in a moment of survival and grew into something rooted in faith, strength, and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.itsaboutsouth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsaboutsouth
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557455327174
