Today we’d like to introduce you to Afia Owusu.
Afia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My love for cooking started at the age of seventeen in 2016. My mother moved back to our home country Ghana for business at that time and how I wished I stayed in the kitchen with her. Around the time she left, I was starting my freshman year of college. Students had the luxury of getting home-cooked meals delivered to them from their parents and for me, that wasn’t my case. I made a goal for myself that during thanksgiving break to learn how to cook traditional recipes from my culture and also my favorite cuisines. During that time of testing my creativity in the kitchen, I thought about what makes a chef talented from an individual who simply cooks if we are all following the same steps and instructions. I answered my own question when I started to add my own flavor and style to my favorite cuisines.
Throughout my years in college, I always invited my friends over and cooked for them and that’s where it became a joy of mine to see my friend’s reaction to my dishes. Their happiness and love towards my dishes encouraged me to try new recipes and expand. Being a college student, the same food options given daily on campus could be tiresome to some, so I told myself why not share my love to my college community. My fall semester of 2019, I took an entrepreneur course where my professor inspired me to turn my passion into profit. In January of this year, I launched my catering business by throwing a business launch brunch party for my friends and family. After that, Flavors of Gold served college students, student organizations and to the people of the Houston Metropolitan community.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been smooth but I can say being a full-time college student at the University of Houston with the aspiration of becoming a pharmacist while balancing a business that can consist preparation and cooking for more than 10 hours can be tough when you have to study for an exam coming up as well. Though, I realized that having discipline within yourself is the key to push through.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Flavors of Gold story. Tell us more about the business.
Flavors of Gold is a catering business which serves personal meal orders, event orders and personal chef services to the people of the Houston Metropolitan community. I specialize in Southern comfort, African, Caribbean, Seafood cuisines and my own spin of Tex-Mex and Asian style dishes. My famous dish is my Shrimp and Lobster Mac & Cheese and HTX Soul Rolls, an egg roll infused with mac & cheese and candied yams. I am most proud of my growth as an entrepreneur professionally, expanding my network with many individuals and companies through my dishes, and just seeing how far diligence and hard work can take you.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The catering and food industry will always keep growing but in a company sense, it depends on what method you take to continue growing your market. I always wanted to have an actual restaurant built inside the Galleria and one in my home country of Ghana.
Pricing:
- Large Pan order of Stuffed Cajun Pasta is: $55
- HTX Soul Rolls: $2 per roll
- Large Pan order of Shrimp and Lobster Mac & Cheese: $60
Contact Info:
- Phone: (832) 287-3750
- Email: flavorsofgold@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flavorsofgold
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