Today, we’d like to introduce you to Khaya Mathis.
Hi Khaya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi my name is Khaya Alizée Mathis. Born in Portland Oregon. I was raised in Woodburn Oregon. I grew up in a single-parent household. I have my dad, two sisters & two brothers. When we were younger, our mom decided to leave our family by abandoning us during school pick-up time. And that was a traumatizing experience for my family and I.
Fast forward to when we’re older, As the second oldest, I was in the kitchen cooking a lot for my family. Providing them with lovely meals. I LOVED the responsibility of making sure my family ate good food.
I always felt like cooking was always my passion. As I got older, I realized it was more so, a gift from God. I also realized the food we ate (soul food) wasn’t popular where I was from and that’s what made me think maybe I can start a soul food business.
When I decided to start selling soul food in 2021, I felt like I finally found what God wanted me to pursue in. Growing up in Woodburn, I felt like it would be a success to sell soul food because of how diverse the community is & how much the community thrives on supporting minorities.
If I could build a platform, knowing that I overcome physical & emotional abuse, bullying, neglect, stereotypes, abandonment, narratives about myself, my parents divorce & homelessness. I could inspire children to pull through hard times in their lives & to follow what God has planned for them. And so that was also a reason for why I created my Business.
Serving the community & getting more connected is my current goal in Utah. I did recognize that there is nothing like my business here, so that gets me super hyped and motivated.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Because my business is my passion, cooking comes easily. But what I needed to learn along the way was the financial part. Margins, profit and so on… I understand that growth takes small steps, so that’s what I’ve been doing since the start of my business and it’s been doing me good.
As you know, we’re big fans of Khaya’s Chicken N Wafflez. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
Khaya’s Chicken N Wafflez is a fast food soul food business. I also specialize in Catering & Community Service. I try to invest my time Serving those in need with Hot soul foods during Holidays. Also I love hosting Free soul food events as well.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is to be patient, have faith in God, stay humble and work hard. Pray to God for all of your business moves & take some time to take care of your community. For those who are reading this, I really hope that I can be an inspiration for you to create a relationship with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. He has truly saved me & I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. He has given me the strength to endure, the peace to heal and the grace to forgive others who has caused pain in my life. And I am a better woman because of that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://khayaala21.
wixsite.com/ khayaschickennwaffle - Instagram: @missdrizzyk
- Facebook: @Khaya Alizée
