Today we’d like to introduce you to Huguette Mpeye.
Hi Huguette, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I came to the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo when I was 13 years old and started cooking with my siblings at that time. This is when I really started realizing my love and passion for cooking; as years passed and I started a family and worked in IT at companies like Splunk, IBM, and Securonix, I still kept my love for cooking alive by cooking for gatherings, holidays, daily dinners and never let it go. In 2019, after hearing from so many people who tried my food that I should open a restaurant, I decided to start my catering business– J&M, named after my daughters Jade and Mikah. I wanted people to not just have food, but a delightful experience of the whole process– from setting up to taking down; I wanted to focus on bringing fresh, delicious food with my mobile kitchen and team to create memories as well as happy tastebuds. I am so happy to see how much things have grown from my kitchen in 2019, and now I have scaled up to doing large weddings, food festivals, and bar nights!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have certainly been challenges on my journey. Finding a work/life balance, marketing myself and the J&M brand, and navigating the food industry when it is a more male-dominated industry. Additionally, the tasks of being a wife and a mom to two amazing daughters while also balancing life in corporate America at Fortune 500 companies is part of the many hats I have to wear. Sometimes, it feels as a woman, my voice is not as loud as others in the rooms I enter, but I work hard to show I deserve my spot.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I customize and cater events with food that has an Afro-Caribbean flair. I am known for and most proud of bringing the freshest food to every event with the use of my mobile kitchen. What sets me apart is the fact my passion for food is something I have always had my whole life. Having tasted food from all over the world from Congo and Kenya to Belgium and Italy and Mexico and Jamaica, coming back home, I have always recreated the dishes with ingredients I would use in my everyday cooking. I blend African seasonings for my shrimp and grits or Caribbean seasoning for my quesadillas– the blending is something I take time planning and want my passion to be reflected in. My vision is to be able to bring these amazing flavors and personalize every experience I have the blessing to be a part of.
What’s next?
Plans for the future are to grow as much as we can and establish my passion as my top money-making business! I would love to have multiple mobile kitchens in Dallas to expand our reach and quality to the whole DFW community, so I am looking forward to having our name being continuously associated with the quality, care, passion, and hard work we provide. Being part of the diaspora, we never really leave our roots; we just embellish them and embrace the beauty life offers us– I hope to introduce people to beautiful flavors and experiences they have not had before while helping them create memories of a lifetime.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jmcateringandevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmcateringandevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmcateringandevents/services/
