When Bernadette Williams admits she did not have a clue when she first conceived the concept of Aunt B’s Country Kitchen. “I only knew that I wanted to feed people. I wanted people to feel special after eating at Aunt B’s…to get the sensation of having had just gotten a big hug after a good home-cooked family meal,” said Williams. It’s not a stretch to say that Williams has achieved her goal on that level because people all over the community crave her delectable, family- style cuisine.
Though she has always cooked this way for family, friends, and extended family, starting her business was venturing into an entirely different realm for her. Williams says that she possessed no business acumen when she started her enterprise. Everything was trial and error. Having spent 20 years of her working career with Elwyn Institute, caring for deaf and behavioral challenged children, Williams’ transition to entrepreneurship took some getting used to. Instead of earning a paycheck, she was now the person to whom people look too for their paychecks. That took some getting used to.
Born and raised in Chester, Williams is a proud product of the Chester Upland School District and has always been immersed in her community from an early age. Her mother had six children, and as it is in most African American families, though money was often scarce, food was not. Food was and still is one way most African American people and those in other cultures show their love. “Coming from a large family, we have always found comfort in food, and that still holds true today,” stated Williams.
“I can remember my brother telling me that a spot was available in the Market Place, which was the perfect fit because I wasn’t financially equipped for a stand- alone brick mortar establishment of my own. The cost would not have been feasible. I can envision my own building, going forward,” says Williams.
Williams is entering her 3rd year in business and says that she has had some real challenges; however, not enough to deter her or dampen her passion. Her biggest challenge came as she opened her business, finding out how to connect with her customer base, finding the thing that would make Aunt B’s stand out from other eateries. She did find it in her signature sauces which are all the rage. She also has on the menu a one-of-a-kind dish called the “Game Changer” broccoli, shrimp, chicken, sautéed onions covered with a signature sauce served on a roll or over a bed of vegetable fried rice. Her menu is full of eclectic dishes and tried and true recipes like chicken wings and fresh-cut fries. All of the items on the menu are prepared from scratch and leave customers wishing they doubled their orders. It certainly keeps them coming back for more.
Together with her granddaughter, who aspires to be a chef, she created her signature sauces, available for sale in small and large sizes for $5.30 and $7.42, respectively. Aunt B’s is a family business with many of the Williams family members lending a hand.
Williams has enhanced her business profile by increasing her presence on social media platforms, advertising in community publications, and, of course, there is the “word of mouth” aspect, which is always good. This played out recently for Aunt B’s when popular U-Tube sensation JL Jupiter came to Chester to sample her cui- sine after hearing about it from a friend. The JL Jupiter visit to Aunt’B’s had the domino effect as many people who had not heard of Aunt B’s also came by to treat themselves to her home-cooked delights. “We were swamped with all the customers and orders coming in, and they continue to come in,” stated Williams. This is as good of an example of one business owner supporting another as I have seen. A known foodie, Jupiter has a 6- figure following and is known for boosting the profile of independent restaurants. Not a food critic, Jupiter knows what he likes and enjoys shining a spotlight on small independent eateries.
Other challenges that Williams faced were inventory, staffing, and operating during and after the pandemic. William’s first concern was making sure that she had enough food on hand to fill her orders. Once she got over that hurdle, she had to consider how much inventory to keep on hand, as she did not want a large amount of waste. “I’m certainly better with it than when I first opened the doors,” she said.
Staffing has been an issue prior to the pandemic, and now that it appears the nation is coming out of it. No industry has been harder hit than the restaurant/hospitality industry. Aunt B’s is no exception. Though she’s continued to operate throughout the shutdown, the distinctive combination of rising cost coupled with people’s fear of public contact has caused her to have difficulty securing employees and maintaining pre-pandemic pricing. “I have had to increase prices a little due to the increase in inventory cost. My customers have been understanding. I’m short-staffed by about two people right now,” says Williams.
There is a sense of normalcy returning to the Market Place people can now return to indoor seating, and Williams is extremely pleased. She has become accustomed to the intimate interaction with her customer base. There may have been a learning curve in the beginning, and despite the challenges, Williams has navigated the world of small business owner. She’s come a long way from sketching the layout for her kitchen for the architect. Back then she was going on blind faith. Today she is learning with each passing day, honing her skillset for future successes.
Williams is looking to ownership of a brick-and-mortar building of her own and seeing her signature sauces on supermarket shelves. Right now, she’s happy with the service she provides and the progress she has made.
Aunt B’s is located in the Food Court at the Market Place, at 2300 West 4th Street, Chester, Pennsylvania. Phone: 484-474-6779. You can also reach out to Aunt B’s on Facebook, Instagram (@auntbscountrykitchen). You can even order via Grub Hub and DoorDash. Ex- perience the hospitality and quality homemade cooking for real.
