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Meet Tiashia Underwood of Blends Daiquiri Lounge in Carrollton

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiashia Underwood.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Tiashia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Born and raised in Louisiana, primarily raised by a single mother, I quickly learned and adapted to what it is to be a dreamer, hard worker, and go-getter! My father instilled leadership and follow-through that until this day, I humbly live by. My grandmother taught me how to be compassionate, patient, loyal, and grateful for the things I want in life. Growing up and living by these qualities naturally grew bigger and bolder within me over the years as I progressed through school, ending with obtaining my Masters in Business Administration along with completing two terms of being enlisted in the Air Force Reserves. Always wanting more and looking for opportunity, I realized a bigger city would be a boost for such a strong, forward-thinking country girl and decided to move to the DFW area in 2007. Continuously reflecting on my five-year plan, I managed to begin marking off accomplishments that I knew I would succeed in such as getting established in Dallas, purchasing my first home, landing a great job, and beginning my journey of becoming an entrepreneur. After nearly ten years of research and saving, I decided it was time to dive into business ownership. My list of businesses was long (and still is) but I decided my first business would be in the restaurant industry and that is when Blends Daiquiri Lounge “Blends” was created! The culture of Blends has allowed me to expand on the qualities I gained from my childhood, education, and militant background. The journey was not easy but I’m now a business owner for over two years and gearing up for the next business venture(s) on my list, so stay tuned…!!!!

Has it been a smooth road?
As life has many obstacles and roadblocks, I too, have experienced many throughout my journey to adulthood and becoming a business owner. My first challenge was becoming a young, single parent while going through school and still trying to figure out how I was going to stay motivated and accomplish my ‘list’ of to-do’s. I found myself giving up, delaying my dreams due to fear, and finding every excuse in the book to continue to say, ‘Not right now’. Once I started to process these thoughts and actions, I determined that the real struggle and set back was MYSELF. I was in my own thoughts and way which created more bumpy roads along the way. Once I overcame MYSELF and created my business, of course, more obstacles came my way. I lost my sense of sociability and the new norm for me was a different hustle that I never knew existed. Yes, owning your own business brings forth a NEW being within yourself, one that you’ll be surprised and happy to see. I had to set my self apart from the old way of living and be reborn into a new person carrying the same childhood qualities. Being a leader and boss is rewarding and difficult at the same time but again with challenges. I found myself opening the doors to a couple of people that were not deserving of the opportunity to grow with me, I’ve been lied too, I always give 100% while only getting 50% back from some, I had to stand up and step out to prove I’m worthy of being a business owner, and Yes, I’ve lost some people along the way. Being a business owner is definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to do thus far in my life but through the obstacles and challenges, I wake up each day to a new day with new challenges to overcome as I’ve done in the past.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Blends Daiquiri Lounge ‘Blends’ was established in Dec 2017 and is a modern, stylish, and well-organized venue offering entertainment with a twist that includes but not limited to; delicious food, strong drinks, tasteful hookahs and great events. It’s one of the best places in the DFW area to experience sophistication with diversity. Blends specializes in daiquiris (we have 18 different flavors) along with our wings, catfish, and unique fries with a spacious, relaxing atmosphere! Blends is set apart from other restaurants and daiquiri shops by quantity of daiquiri flavors, diverse list of in-house events, and triples in space compared to other locations. I’m most proud of the growth over the last two years (in customers, staff and leadership, and revenue) and the way we’re keeping up with the industry to meet customers’ expectations!

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The DFW metroplex in a whole is a fabulous area for businesses like Blends. Over the past year or two, more and more daiquiri shops are opening which makes the market more saturated with daiquiri shops. Dallas is a BIG city which means there’s more daiquiri shops to go around for everyone to enjoy. I would definitely recommend someone just starting out to come to Dallas simply because the census is so BIG that their business can be geared and customized in a different manner than the next business which offers versatility and different options for customers. I found that one daiquiri shop is not the same as another one just as well as one coffee shop is not the same as the other so branding yourself uniquely in the industry will create a win-win for yourself and the customers, no matter where you go!

Pricing:

  • Lunch Items starts at $5 (Thurs & Fri)
  • Happy Hour daiquiris cost ranges from free to $3.50, depending on the day (Mon-Fri)
  • Appetizers starting at $2.99
  • Entrees starting at $5.99
  • Drinks (daiqiris, wine, beer, and/or sodas) starting at $2.25

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Larry Wriser
Raquel Metcalf

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