Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikara Cummings.
Nikara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always had a passion for cooking and food in general. From the time I can remember my mom allowing me to start cooking on the stovetop, I fell in love with being able to make my mom and brothers smile through their tummies. Needless to say, my mother didn’t have to cook unless she wanted to. When I graduated high school in 2012 from P. l. Dunbar high school in Fort Worth, Texas, I started to do my research on what schools had a culinary program. That’s when I Found TCC (Tarrant County College) southeast campus in Arlington offered the program in a certificate and associate degree. I enrolled and began taking my courses and learned to cook different meals that I was definitely not use to. But that all got put on hold due to me working two jobs, it was too overwhelming for me. Speed up to the year 2020, the month of March to be exact.
One of my good friends asked me to cook her a seafood boil and she would provide the food because she didn’t know how or where to start. So, of course, I didn’t turn down the task; I jumped right on it. and after several fails, I finally mastered my secret Lip Smackin’ Sauce. I took a sample to work to have my coworkers give me feedback and boy, was it a hit. It took me a week to come up with a name and every since then, it’s been a big success. I pride myself in being able to make people happy through food, and it’s not just seafood, I also have several Cajun dishes I have added to my menu. I have a The seafood boil bags, seafood gumbo, jambalaya, dirty rice, quesadillas, Alfredo, etc. And soon, that list will grow once I am able to find me a building to expand my business to.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To be completely honest, my food business itself has taken off in ways I couldn’t have imagined just six months ago. I am very honored to be in the position that I am in with the level of clientele I have. The only “bump in the road” that I have encountered in the past six months is Dealing with my own personal health. Sometimes us as humans try to brush things off and keep going until our bodies shut down completely. And right now I’m in one of those positions where I have to listen to my body. Some days I can barely walk, grasp things with my hands or even do normal everyday activities. So being that I need to use my hands to cook or need strength to stand and walk. it has definitely been challenging but I won’t give up.
Niko’s Lip Smackin’ Seafood Bags & More – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Niko’s Lip Smackin’ Seafood Bags & More is more of a Cajun-style food service company. I do specialize in seafood but I do offer dishes that don’t include seafood. Due to having some clients that either do not eat seafood because they are allergic or simply because they dislike it. We are known for our famous Seafood boil bags and Gumbo. As a single person company I am most proud of my customer service and being able to consistently keep the same taste my customers love. A business cannot and will not survive with poor customer service. What sets me apart from other seafood establishment is that I am a home-based cook, a mother of two, and a full-time employee at Sam’s Club Warehouse. So when I’m selling any of my dishes, I’m also having to balance serving my clients and still being a mother to my two children all at the same time.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career so far was being able to ship my famous sauce out of state to three different states. That’s big for someone like me.
Contact Info:
- Email: nikoslipsmackinseafoodbagsmore@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=3yku2pch6oyx&utm_content=ftqaid3
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
