top of page
Business: My Kay's Kitchen
Location: Tampa, Florida
Description: Culinary artist providing an authentic Trinidad and Tobago experience.
Keba Mayers
Chef
"I was a stay-at-home mom with my last child, and even though it felt really awesome to have that opportunity, I still wasn't feeling like my whole self. Coming to FRESHforce was kind of like a comeback story. I am now a Food Plus Coordinator at Feeding Tampa Bay, and I help people get the food, utilities, housing they need every day." Keba Mayers, FRESHforce Culinary Program Graduate
The Challenge
Keba's dream is to one day be the Head Chef of her own restaurant in Tampa. Her restaurant will feature food from her native country of Trinidad and Tobago. Her guests will have the pleasure of not only enjoying fabulous authentic food, but will also be fully immersed in the sights, sounds and customs of Keba's heritage.
To achieve her ultimate dream of owning her own restaurant, IMPACT is helping Keba start her journey by identifying culinary options that will involve less risk and require minimal upfront financial capital. These options will serve as a stepping stone and provide Keba with a path to achieve her dream.
The IMPACT
With IMPACT’s help, Keba is discovering realistic and creative ways to monetize her culinary talents.
In Phase I of the Project, IMPACT team members were able to help Keba:
-
Research various culinary options that would require minimal time, risk and financial resources versus starting her own restaurant.
-
Establish a decision analysis matrix that identifies a set of must have and want criteria to evaluate and rank options
-
Select the best option (AirBnB culinary events) to start her journey.
In Phase II, IMPACT team members will:
-
Create a Business Plan for Keba's AirBnB Culinary Business
-
Rebrand Keba's Business and develop a new website based on best-in-class benchmarking.
-
Support Keba with her AirBnB application and required certifications.
-
Conduct initial trial dinners to provide Keba with feedback and work out logistics prior to her inaugural AirBnB event.
1
Industry Mentor
Lily Cousins
Associate Culinary Producer
Mythical
1
Project Director
Keith Glovins
IMPACT Board of Directors
1
Project Managers
Liam Stout
University of Tampa
5
Research Analysts
Nicholas Weaver
University of Tampa
Allie Malloy
University of Tampa
Timothy Park
Pepperdine University
Rachel Strayer
University of Tampa
Ekaterina Grib
University of Tampa
bottom of page