Black Business Month Spotlight: Mo's Kitchen

In honor of Black Business Month, we’re highlightingMo’s Kitchen, a small local catering business offering all kinds of cuisines and specializing in grazing charcuterie tables. LISC SA is glad to have worked with Mo’s Kitchen for a couple recent events. Monica Chandler, owner of Mo’s Kitchen was kind enough to share her story.

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I am fortunate to have grown up in a family of cooks on both sides. I spent weekends with my maternal grandparents, helping my grandmother prepare Sunday dinners, snapping green beans, making sandwich platters, seasoning meats, and frying fish or chicken.  Summers were spent in New Jersey with my paternal grandparents and aunts, where I learned family recipes such as "Chandler mac ‘n’ cheese" from Aunt Doris and homemade dinner rolls from Aunt Jean. Not to mention the croquettes & grits from Aunt Eileen!

My parents played a significant role in nurturing my passion for cooking. My dad taught me how to cook on a pit with wood and charcoal while my mom, the GOAT, to say the least, introduced me to her recipes and allowed me to assist her in the kitchen. My customers have enjoyed so many of her recipes that I have prepared with my own added twist.

I come from a large family of five siblings, and we all share a love for cooking. ALL OF US CAN COOK, BABY! We each have our own style, but all are equally good. I often cooked for potlucks at work, prepared meals for friends, and hosted dinners at my house.

My passion for cooking eventually led to overwhelming demand for my services, which inspired me to start Mo's Kitchen in June 2020 during the Covid pandemic.

What began as a Father's Day meal at home quickly gained attention after a friend posted it on social media, leading to an influx of orders. Encouraged by the positive response, I started offering my services to the public, and Mo's Kitchen was officially launched.

Since then, Mo's Kitchen has grown through word of mouth, and I have transitioned from the corporate world to a full-time catering service and private chef. My goal for Mo's Kitchen is to continue expanding while maintaining the quality and personalized service that has brought us success.

I take inspiration for my dishes from various sources, such as TV shows, menus, and personal experiences. I am particularly passionate about creating grazing charcuterie tables for events, as I find them visually appealing and enjoy the process of curating a wide variety of options for customers to choose from.

My dad's words have always resonated with me: "Monica, you can always make some money if you have some good food." This mantra continues to motivate and drive me to provide quality, tasteful, and visually appealing dishes for my clients.

Thank you all for your continued support on my journey with Mo's Kitchen.

—Monica Chandler, Mo's Kitchen