LACIE SILVA
Editor
Brittany Garrett, founder of Yum Yum’s Takeout Café, has led a remarkable journey from challenges and strife to pursue education and professional growth in the name of progress. The turning point in her life came when Paige Hill, the principal of South Pittsburg High School, invited her to speak at the school’s women’s empowerment series. During her talk, Garrett shared her story and emphasized the unpredictable nature of life and the importance of perseverance, hoping to inspire the young girls with her experiences.
Through this Garrett came to the realization of her regrets about not being able to tell the students that she had completed her high school diploma, which pushed her to enroll in a three-week high school program at Gruetli-Laager. At 38, she finally received her diploma, an achievement that inspired her to attend college for further professional development.
Garrett explored culinary courses that fit her busy schedule of running Yum Yum’s Takeout Café. She was accepted into the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) culinary program as the 12th participant out of 12. To attend the intensive, five-day-a-week classes, she closed down her restaurant and moved to Knoxville for nine weeks. During the program, she excelled and won the first challenge, discovering her competitive spirit.
Throughout her journey, Garrett received significant support from her friend Mike Otterman, the CEO of Lodge. The company provided her with $4,000, which covered her stay in Knoxville for 52 days. This underscored the small town mindset of local businesses’ dedication to supporting both residents and fellow enterprises, fostering a thriving community for everyone’s benefit.
After completing the program, Garrett returned home and reopened Yum Yum’s for a few weeks before transitioning to the new location, a move that took just 38 days. After three years at the old site, Yum Yum’s officially opened at its new location on June 14, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on June 22.
Family support has been a cornerstone of Garrett’s journey as her passion for cooking and dedication to her business, Yum Yum’s Takeout Café, are deeply rooted in her family and the hardships she faced growing up. Garrett attributes her culinary skills to her mother, who raised six daughters on her own.
Garrett’s third sister, Nya, who passed away in 2020, was a significant influence. Nya encouraged Garrett to open her own business and stop working for others. This push led Garrett to start her catering business and sell plates from her home in 2014.
Nya’s death was a profound loss for her, but it also fueled her determination to honor her sister’s last wish. Garrett keeps Nya’s memory alive by featuring her face on her business cards, symbolizing her sister’s protection over the brand. Every milestone Garrett achieves is bittersweet, as she wishes Nya were there to celebrate with her. At the opening of her new location, she had a picture of Nya by the cupcakes, ensuring her presence in spirit.
Garrett’s journey from struggling with poverty to becoming a successful business owner is marked by her desire to give back to the community. Her experiences have taught her the importance of support, resilience, and the impact of family in achieving one’s dreams.
Months after speaking to the young girls at the women’s empowerment series, Garrett was inspired to create the ‘Quiet Closet,’ a nonprofit organization that provides clothing to girls aged 12 to 19. The name ‘Quiet Closet’ reflects the discreet nature of the service, ensuring that no one feels ashamed for needing clothes, whether they are hand-me-downs or donations. Recognizing that labels and social status can be significant to teenagers, Garrett aims to mitigate the impact of these pressures by offering this supportive resource.
Garrett believes that one’s origins do not define their future. She emphasizes that a strong desire to improve can lead to better outcomes, stating, “It doesn’t matter where you come from. It matters where you’re going.”
In addition to her work with the Quiet Closet, Garrett is committed to helping her community in other ways. For instance, she reflected on taking barbecue hot dogs to a nursing home, distributing them to residents, including her aunts. She recognizes that some residents may not have family visiting them and wanted to provide a small gesture of kindness, especially for the Fourth of July celebration.
Garrett’s dedication to reducing food waste is another aspect of her community integration efforts. Whenever she has leftover food from her business, she prefers to donate it rather than throwing it away. She often takes this surplus to nursing homes or distributes it to people in need, driven by her own experiences of hunger in her childhood.
Looking to the future, Garrett remains focused on building her empire. She embraces the challenges she has faced, stating, “every brick that anybody’s ever thrown at me, I’m just going to continue to build with it.” This resilient attitude underscores her commitment to growth and perseverance.
Yum Yum’s, a team of six hard working women, is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering dine-in and takeout Southern Soul Food cooked from the heart. They provide daily hot plates and catering services. Visit them at 104 4th Street in South Pittsburg or check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yumyums15/ for rave reviews and mouth-watering photos. For more information, call (423) 618-7967.
The Marion Tribune – August 8, 2024
