SCORE Mentor Helps Catering Biz Measure Food Costs

It could have been a recipe for disaster: Opening a restaurant little more than a month before the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020. Yet, Anya Lumpkin-Queen and her husband, Titus Queen, prevailed.

Their family-owned Harrisburg restaurant, Queen’s BBQ and Southern Cuisine, was the first in the city to pivot to curbside pickup and their beloved community continued to support them.

“I do a lot of stuff that brings a lot of personal connection to our customers and to our business,” Lumpkin-Queen said. “We always want to have a customer first and community first approach.”

So much so that they lost their home and vehicle in the midst of COVID.

“We put everything we had into our business,” she said.

The Queens continued carryout and curbside operations until June 2022, when they transitioned to a catering-only establishment, offering a diverse menu of more than 500 options for orders ranging from 10 up to 750 people. The couple received the go-ahead from a local church to use their kitchen to prepare customers’ catering orders.

“It all happened very quickly, organically and felt right,” she said. “It’s supposed to happen this way.”

Some of their customer favorites include beef brisket, pulled pork, ribs, macaroni and cheese, collard greens with smoked turkey and Lumpkin-Queen’s banana pudding poke cake and a strawberry crunch cake “that tastes like strawberry éclair ice cream.”

With their restaurant equipment in storage since 2022, Lumpkin-Queen, in an effort to try to reclaim a restaurant space, competed in SCORE’s 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition. SCORE is a national nonprofit organization that supports small businesses through free mentoring.

More than 2,200 small businesses applied to compete in five pitch events. Contestants were pared down to 60 contenders who presented their pitch live before panels of judges. Participants were matched with SCORE mentors to refine their pitches, strengthen their presentations, and hone their business plans. Lumpkin-Queen was one of 45 finalists.

She teamed with SCORE mentor Louis Logan of the Susquehanna chapter, whose background in foodservice is extensive and includes work as an executive chef.

“Mr. Louis gave me the greatest advice when he said, ‘you need to figure out how much you're spending per ounce on stuff,’” Lumpkin-Queen recalled. “He really gave me insight on how important it is to know down to the penny what you are spending so you can determine what you need to make and charge.”

Logan also suggested she calculate her labor hours to help in setting prices.

“One of the keys to success is knowing how much money is coming in, going out and exactly where it is going,” he said.

Lumpkin-Queen and her husband are both self-taught in running a business and working in foodservice. Prior to starting the business, Titus worked for 10 years as a chef at Applebee’s. His wife meanwhile has expertise in the customer service realm.

“However, in our families we've been cooking since we were knee-high to a grasshopper both me and my husband,” she said. “We meld together what we've learned from our families, particularly our grandparents.”

The couple are grateful for the ongoing community support and cherish the opportunity to cook for so many people for important occasions ranging from Black History Month celebrations at businesses, to weddings and even preparing food for funeral luncheons.

“Food touches your soul. That means me and my husband are part of so many people in the area because we fed them,” she said. “We're more interested in feeding you and becoming a part of your life. Making a profit is the cherry on top.”

For the year ahead, Lumpkin-Queen said her goal is to thrive.

“We have built our business on resilience and being able to adapt to the most difficult situations that anyone can be faced with,” she said. “I want to encourage whoever is looking to open a business or start something ... just keep trying. Don't ever give up on yourself.”

To learn more about SCORE, request a mentor or volunteer to be one, visit score.org.

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow, or successfully exit a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories. Visit SCORE at score.org.