Today we’d like to introduce you to DaShonda Smith.
Hi DaShonda, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Growing up, while most kids spent their days playing outside with friends, I spent most of my time underneath my grandma watching Emeril Lagasse and Rachel Ray. I was so enthused by seeing how they took such small items and turned them into a dish the entire family could enjoy. I loved always being hands-on and a server. At church as a young girl, I would always volunteer to help out in the kitchen to watch the older ladies cook. I loved being a part of the bake sales at church and school to see how others loved my baking. I would sometimes bake for the basketball team before games to make them more excited. I just loved always seeing a smile on others’ faces when I cooked.
As growing older I still enjoyed cooking for others. While I was working at a bank by the time I got off my friends would sometimes already be waiting for me. At my house with meals, they had in mind for dinner. Some days they would even offer to go buy all the groceries as long as I was the one doing the cooking.
When the pandemic hit, that’s when I really tapped into my chef side more. While the world was shutting down to say, I was building up a business I would grow to fall in love with. I started selling dinners once a week as a side hustle to keep afloat until I could return to work full-time. By the time everything started to go back to normal I realized my true calling in life was to start my own business and open a restaurant to always serve others with a smile and let the light of God shine through me and my business. I begin to work toward getting my LLC and other licenses needed to pursue my business full-time. Eventually, I hired staff and we found a gem of a building to continue to grow the business. It’s turned into one of the best food locations in Lorain. We serve all different types of dishes from southern soul food to Mexican dishes to Italian and Caribbean dishes. Our crowd-favorite dishes are Birria Tacos, the best catfish in town, and the wide range of desserts, we offer daily.
Alright, 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?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road and it’s still not smooth as we would like. Only with trial and error will we continue to grow. It’s hard to run a business when it’s not always sunshine.
You could make $5000 one week and the next two weeks not even make enough to pay your staff but you have to continue to push through. It’s hard when you don’t have many supporters as you’d like to hit you keep on going.
Keep posting. Keep promoting and the support will come.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Dishes by DaShonda is a restaurant located at 2428 Elyria Avenue Lorain OH 44052. We are different from most because We don’t just specialize in daily dining but we also offer catering, party decorating, dessert tables, party planning, and more.
The thing that makes me most proud is seeing the smiles on our client’s faces after catering an event and seeing how much they enjoyed the food but more so how much they enjoyed seeing a family ran business serving with love and smiles.
I want readers to know that we are open daily looking to get everyone around us to try our food out at least once. We also want people to think about us when looking for a small business to support when it comes to catering but also don’t let the word small stop them. No event is too big or small for us to make happen.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
The Bible is the best to help me continue to do good in life. Reading is very fundamental to growth but something about reading the word of God and praying he has guided all my steps in life and keeping the faith. He’s never failed me yet.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dishes.by.dashonda?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dishes.By.DaShonda
