Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaliyah Goree.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Aaliyah, and I’m someone who has always had a deep passion for food, creativity, and bringing people together. Ever since I was little, I always wanted to be in the kitchen cooking, baking, or just creating something. A huge inspiration for me was my grandmother, Nene, who passed away about 15 years ago and who I honestly looked at as my momma. Every time I was at her house, she would always be in the kitchen throwing down and making amazing food. Watching her made me fall in love with cooking from a very young age.
One of the first things I ever made on my own was French toast and eggs for my family when I was in elementary school. I remember being so proud and happy because it was the first time I cooked something for the people I loved, and they genuinely enjoyed it. That feeling stayed with me.
I didn’t fully take cooking seriously until high school when I got my very first job at 15. I actually started as a dishwasher, but while working I would randomly start helping out and creating things in the kitchen. My boss/the owner, Mo Assi, saw potential in me before I even fully saw it in myself, and from there I started taking culinary arts much more seriously.
Throughout high school, I took culinary and pastry arts classes every single year while also balancing being an athlete. Basketball was a huge part of my life at the time, but after dealing with coaches who doubted me and talked down on me, I started realizing that maybe my real purpose was somewhere else. I took that as a sign to continue pursuing culinary arts and pastry arts wholeheartedly.
During my senior year, I started college early, and after graduating high school I continued studying at Collin College and graduated there for three and a half years to pursue my degrees and certifications in culinary and pastry arts. I earned my Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts Level 1 Certification, and Pastry Arts Level 1 Certification.
While I was in college, people already knew I could “throw down” when it came to cooking and baking, and I would get random orders here and there, but I didn’t think too much about it at first. Everything really started changing when I randomly posted my first cooking video making vegetarian birria tacos. The video got a lot of attention, and people started messaging me saying how good my food looked and encouraging me to post more cooking and baking content.
That was the moment I realized I could actually build something from this.
I currently also work at well-known company, and that experience has helped me grow in customer service, consistency, and connecting with people every day. At the same time, I started consistently sharing my food journey online, and what began as simple posts of food and creative ideas slowly turned into real support. People began reaching out to order from me, encouraging me to keep going, and genuinely connecting with what I was building. One of the biggest moments for me was having someone from another city drive out just to try my food — that made everything feel real for the first time.
I started consistently posting food content, behind-the-scenes videos, and homemade recipes, and eventually I created my business, Bite’N’Bliss by Aaliyah, where I now do personal/private chef services, catering, vendor events, pop-ups, and custom orders. Since then, three of my videos have gone viral, including my potato scallops video with over 21K views, homemade honey buns with 14.1K views, and homemade Cajun pasta with 13K views. Everything I make is homemade and made completely from scratch.
What really pushed me to start taking my passions seriously was realizing that I wanted to build something of my own. I started experimenting more with catering, events, pop-ups, vendor opportunities, and getting consistent orders in general, while also sharing parts of my journey online. What started as simply posting food and creative ideas slowly turned into people genuinely supporting me, reaching out to order from me, and encouraging me to keep going. I’m still very much in the beginning stages of my journey — it’s only been about 2 years — but I think that’s what makes it even more meaningful. I’m learning as I go, stepping outside of my comfort zone, trying new opportunities, networking, vending at events, and slowly building confidence in myself as a future business owner.
At first, I was honestly scared to even create a food business page because I was camera shy and kept telling myself nobody would care or order from me. But after encouragement from my best friend, family, coworkers, and college friends, I finally stepped outside my comfort zone and took the risk. I’ve always been the type of person who likes to challenge myself and not stay comfortable, and taking that leap changed everything for me.
Now, only two years into building my business, I’ve gained loyal customers, support from coworkers, family, regulars from my Starbucks job, and opportunities I never expected. One of my regular customers even trusted me to make custom champagne donuts for her daughter’s bridal shower. Moments like that remind me why I love what I do.
My long-term goal is to eventually open my own food truck, and one day expand into my own food place. I want to create something that feels creative, welcoming, and community-driven, where food brings people together.
A big part of my story is also about growth. I’ve learned that you don’t have to have everything figured out to start. Sometimes it begins with simply believing in your ideas enough to try. I want people to see that it’s okay to start small, take the risk, step out of your comfort zone, learn along the way, and trust the process while building something meaningful for yourself.
Outside of my personal journey, I’ve also been inspired by chefs and mentors who shaped my path, including Chef Demetria Olive and Chef Jason Blackwell, who I’m still in contact with today and who have seen my growth from high school until now. I also grew up watching cooking shows and Food Network constantly, inspired by chefs like Bobby Flay, Sunny Anderson, Anne Burrell, Alex Guarnaschelli, Ree Drummond, Maneet Chauhan, Ina Garten, Antonia Lofaso, Ayesha Curry, Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, Gordon Ramsay, Carla Hall, and Eddie Jackson. Seeing successful Black food entrepreneurs like Marissa Allen also inspired me to believe I could create something meaningful of my own.
At the end of the day, culinary arts is more than just food to me. It’s creativity, comfort, passion, connection, and a way for me to express myself while bringing people together.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. One of the biggest struggles in my journey has been self-doubt. In the beginning, I honestly didn’t think people would care about my food or support me in a real way, especially online. I was very camera shy and constantly overthought everything — from posting content to even calling what I was doing a “business.” For a while, I held myself back simply out of fear of failing or not being taken seriously.
Another challenge was balancing everything at once. I was working, going to school, building my culinary skills, and trying to figure out my purpose all at the same time. There were moments where I felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure if I was doing enough or even going in the right direction. On top of that, I was also working two full-time jobs while being a full-time college student, which meant long nights, very little sleep, and constantly being on my feet.
It also wasn’t easy emotionally. I experienced lack of support from some people I expected to support me the most, including family and friends. That was one of the hardest parts, because when you’re building something from nothing, you naturally hope the people closest to you will believe in you. I also dealt with negativity and doubt from others (my hater), which made me question myself at times, but it ultimately pushed me to prove myself right instead of letting it stop me.
Even when I started posting food content and building my business, success wasn’t instant. I had to learn consistency, patience, and confidence. Not every post went viral, not everyone understood my vision, and I had to accept that growth takes time.
What also made this journey challenging was building everything completely from the ground up. I started my food business from scratch with very little help, and a lot of it has been me figuring things out as I go — even now at 22. There were long nights, no real breaks, and constantly trying to figure out how to keep going while managing everything in my life.
But every struggle taught me something. It taught me resilience, discipline, and independence. It taught me how to keep going even when I feel tired, unsupported, or unsure. And looking back, all of those challenges are a big part of why I value my growth and where I am today so much more.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a culinary artist and entrepreneur based in the Dallas area. I specialize in cooking, baking, and creating homemade, from-scratch food experiences through my business, Bite’N’Bliss by Aaliyah. My work includes private chef services, catering, pop-ups, vendor events, and custom food orders. I also currently work at my job, which has helped me strengthen my customer service skills, consistency, and ability to work in fast-paced environments while still staying grounded in people-centered service.
Through my business, I’ve become known for my homemade comfort-style dishes and desserts, everything from savory meals to sweet baked goods and wellness-inspired food items. I focus heavily on quality, flavor, and presentation, but also on creating food that feels personal and made with intention. Everything I make is from scratch, and I take pride in putting care into every order, no matter the size.
What I am most proud of is how my business started from the ground up with no blueprint and has grown through consistency, word of mouth, and social media. I began by simply sharing my cooking online, and over time that turned into real support, paying customers, and opportunities I never expected. I’ve even had customers travel from different cities just to try my food, which was a defining moment for me because it showed me that people genuinely connected with what I was creating.
I am also proud of the fact that I’ve been able to stay committed while managing multiple responsibilities at once, including working full-time and building my business simultaneously. It hasn’t been easy, but it has shaped my work ethic and discipline in a major way.
What sets me apart is that my journey is truly self-built and rooted in passion, resilience, and authenticity. I didn’t have everything figured out from the beginning, and I’m still learning every day, but I’ve continued to push myself forward even when things were difficult or uncertain. I also put a lot of heart into my work — I’m not just cooking food, I’m creating experiences that are meant to bring comfort, joy, and connection to people.
At the end of the day, I don’t just see myself as someone who cooks — I see myself as someone building a brand, a future food business, and eventually my own food truck and restaurant. Everything I do now is laying the foundation for that long-term vision.
How do you think about luck?
I honestly don’t see my journey as being driven by luck as much as it has been driven by consistency, discipline, timing, and faith. I don’t really believe in “bad luck,” and even when things are difficult, I try to see them as part of the process of growth and redirection rather than something negative working against me. I believe my foundation is my faith, and that God has always had my back throughout every season of my life and business.
If anything, what people might call “good luck” has really been the result of me putting in the work, staying consistent, and being disciplined even when it wasn’t easy or when I didn’t see immediate results. I’ve had moments that looked like opportunities appearing out of nowhere, but in reality, they came from me continuing to show up, post my food, practice my craft, and stay committed to my vision even when I was tired or unsure.
For example, when my food content started gaining attention online, it may have seemed sudden, but it was really the result of me consistently sharing my journey and not giving up. The same goes for the support I’ve received from customers who found me online or even traveled to try my food. Those moments didn’t happen by chance — they happened because I stayed consistent and trusted the process.
I also don’t view setbacks as bad luck. I’ve had moments of self-doubt, slow growth, and times where I felt like I was doing everything on my own, but those experiences actually strengthened me. They taught me discipline, independence, and how to rely on my faith when things feel uncertain.
At the end of the day, I believe my “good luck” comes from God, my work ethic, and my consistency. I believe in working hard, staying disciplined, trusting God’s timing, and continuing to push forward no matter what. That mindset has carried me through everything I’ve built so far.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaliyahsfabulousfoods?igsh=MWM4N2E4YzM0c3h3Mg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cj4BsVbTu/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bitenblissbyaaliyah?_r=1&_t=ZT-96TdTzEgjdu
