Community Highlights: Meet Tomeka Brown of Low Country Eats N’ Sweets

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tomeka Brown. 

Hi Tomeka, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
With my husband Michael’s roots in Charleston, SC specifically Johns Island, and my roots in NC, we decided to bring some of the taste of the Low Country to Charlotte, NC! 

Michael has an extensive career in restaurant management and cooking, for over 30 years! Tomeka has a background in homemade baking and has a baking business. They both enjoy preparing good ole southern foods for friends and family’s dinner and small functions! With both backgrounds in the cooking and baking business and a desire to combine the two, thus Low Country Eats N’ Sweets was birthed! 

“We’ve always wanted a food truck and talked about it for many years! Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Michael was laid off and business slowed tremendously for my baking business, what better time to work on our dream of owning a food truck!” 

With the combination of Low Country food recipes such as red rice, shrimp and grits, fish, shrimp, crab, Johnny cakes, southern fried cabbage, and fresh-baked cakes and pies, your taste buds get a glimpse into Low Country eating without leaving the city! 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road but it has taught us some things that have helped us succeed. Owning your own business in the food truck industry has its ups and downs. The challenges We have faced together has made it worthwhile and we are starting to see the benefits of our labor. Long days, nights, mechanical issues, finding additional help, price increases of product nationally…has challenged us but has not deterred us from our commitment to our goal, and that is to succeed in this industry and create generational wealth for our grandchildren and children. All the while, providing tasty, delicious foods and desserts for our customers. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
With the combination of Low Country food recipes such as red rice, shrimp and grits, fish, shrimp, crab, Johnny cakes, southern fried cabbage, and fresh-baked cakes and pies, your taste buds get a glimpse into Low Country and Gullah culture. We are known for our Gullah culture red rice, shrimp and grits, fish, southern style meatloaf burgers, and delicious homemade desserts. 

We are most proud of our accomplishment of stepping out and taking a chance in this current climate our country is in, and we are succeeding and learning more and more each day! 

What sets us apart from any other food truck in our city and surrounding areas, is that we bring taste from my husband’s background in Johns Island, SC (Gullah culture) into the city of Charlotte and surrounding cities, that is rare. Our customers enjoy the foods for the Low Country without even leaving to visit the Low Country! It allows us to start and have conversations with all of our customers that ask about Gullah culture, the foods, what parts of Charleston my husband is from as well as myself and how we came together to start our food truck! We have family members, specifically our adult children who often help us on our food truck. It’s a blessing to be able to do all of this with family! The take on the good, the bad, the ugly, and the glory of it all together! 

What’s next?
Our plans for the future is to possibly have more food trucks to expand our brand! We are just a year into having our food truck and we see nothing but great things ahead of us. This will require hard work and dedication and we are up to the challenge. 

Contact Info:

• Email: letseat@lowcountryeatsnsweets.com
• Website: www.lowcountryeatsnsweets.com
• Instagram: letseatlowcountryeats
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/letseatlowcountryeats