April is Black Business Month, and this annual observance is dedicated to highlighting Black owned businesses that move the needle and advance the culture. Inglewood native Chef Tiffany Swinson comes from a family of entrepreneurs and go getters. She is the founder and owner of SomethingGood2Eat (SG2E) Catering and 3Spice Bistro & Kitchen in the Leimert park area on Crenshaw Boulevard. She has worked with Wolfgang Puck and Chef Amy Stone. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel, Swinson shared her journey, her victories, some losses, and the pivotal moments that secured her place in the culinary arts.
Swinson was ten years old when her mother introduced her to cooking. “When we were young [twin sister and brother], my mom started off making us cook every night and we would take turns. We rarely ate out; we always ate in and that was the beginning.” After graduating from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Political Science, Swinson decided to switch gears and focus on cooking. In 2006, she enrolled in culinary school at the Art Institute of California and graduated three years later with her degree in Culinary Management. Culinary school exposed to her high-level events and access to high-level clients of the institute. Little did she know a school project would be the base of her first business venture as an entrepreneur.
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“The project was to create your own company from start to finish, completing a cost analysis, business startup checklist, etc. I remember talking with my brother trying to figure out a name. In the movie Something’s Gotta Give, Mandy Moore had a catering cart called ‘Tell Me Something Good,’ and I thought that was cute but what makes you think of food? You always want something good to eat, and it stuck.”
Swinson credits her parents for instilling work ethic and hustle into her and her siblings. She holds dear a lot of memories with her family around food and business. In 2012, her father passed away and the catering company had slightly slowed. Swinson found herself pivoting back to what she knew best. She shared the Women Who Brunch event allowed SG2E to cater for over 50 guests and more thereafter.
“In 2014 Women Who Brunch gave us an opportunity, and we went from 50 to 100 then 100 to 200 people. The numbers started expanding and we needed to grow the business. We were able to hire more people to come in and work.”
“We started getting continuous clientele and more of a feel of the industry. In today’s age there’s a lot of social media and that plays a big part in a lot of people’s businesses including mine. I can pat myself on the back and say that we’ve accomplished more by being a referral based company and we’ve created a lot of good relationships over time.”
Now for over ten years, the product still speaks for itself. SG2E specializes in contemporary yet familiar cuisine that can adapt to any event. Their food is a tight hug to the heart. SG2E’s first big win with the Calabasas Malibu Food and Wine Festival as Culinary Liaisons, elevated the company from great to exceptional.
Things took another unexpected turn right before the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about solidifying her passion and purpose in cooking, Swinson shared, “I went full force after I lost my job in 2019. I was working for Head Start, a non-profit, and the catering company was doing very well so I decided to do it full-time. I had nothing to lose. We secured some contract work and then in 2020 the pandemic happened and we had to refigure it out. Lauren Brazil introduced us to some small business opportunities and we started selling dinners to families and were then contracted with six hospitals to cook for medical staff. Coming off the pandemic businesses started to open back up, we had to learn and understand how food could work, it had a space before, but now we use the food to get to the people while being safe.”
When the pandemic was over, Swinson and her team were able to continue to work via production companies and learned the new norm around catering and how food would be received once people were allowed outside. SG2E has worked with SKIMS, Good American, and Fabletics since then. The next move was to expand the brand and after securing so many consistent contracts, SG2E needed a space to house the catering company.
3Spice Bistro & Kitchen is a community space that hosts cooking classes for adults and children. The eight-station bistro invites all ages to learn about the unique process of turning raw ingredients into fulfilling homecooked meals. In partnership with Holly J. Mitchell and Dream North, Swinson has developed an after-school program for neighboring students. She believes 3Spice can help keep kids off the street and allow them the opportunity to fall in love with cooking.
“Giving children exposure to something new in the community makes me feel like I can be my best self, using my vessel and my skills to do so. Now we’re working on a few projects and a possible lunch program to provide food to those who need it through community involvement. We are in a food dessert, and we don’t have that many resources but we can change that narrative because there’s so much knowledge that comes from food. It’s not a sprint it’s a marathon, it continues through the children.”
On May 20, 2024, 3Spice Bistro & Kitchen will host their first Youth Culinary Graduation Ceremony. Chef Tiffany Swinson is dedicated to giving back one plate at a time. Her resilience and tenacity continues to advance the Black culinary experience. She is a true testament that enduring challenges and hardships can lead to growth and development. Pressure makes diamonds.
Learn more about SG2E,3Spice Bistro, and how to enroll in cooking classes online at Home | 3 Spice Signup.
