As part of her summer internship with KEC through LaunchTN’s Internship Program, Riley caught up with KEC alumni and program participants to learn where their entrepreneurial journeys have taken them. In this story, she shares how Tandalyn turned a lifelong love of cooking into Sweet and Sassy.
Hear Tandalyn’s story in a video HERE.
A Lifelong Love of Cooking
Long before she became a chef and entrepreneur, Tandalyn was a child experimenting with flavors in her family’s kitchen. From a young age, she was drawn to stories centered around meals and often found recipes in newspapers and magazines to try.
That early curiosity eventually grew into a career in the culinary world. In 2000, she moved to Knoxville and completed her culinary co-op at Club LeConte. She later became a sous chef at the Knoxville Convention Center during its opening.
After having her first daughter, Tandalyn stepped back from the restaurant industry to focus on raising her children. She continued catering whenever the opportunity arose, allowing cooking to remain part of her life while she focused on her family.
Starting Sweet and Sassy
After years of raising their six children, Tandalyn’s husband encouraged her to return to the culinary world. He recognized that she had “poured her soul into the family” and encouraged her to pursue something of her own. He eventually bought her a food truck to help bring that dream to life.
That food truck became Sweet and Sassy, named in honor of their youngest daughter and her tendency to be both sweet and sassy.
What began as a way for Tandalyn to reconnect with her passion for cooking quickly became an opportunity to share her creativity with the Knoxville community.
Creating More Than a Meal
For Tandalyn, food has never been only about filling a plate. It is about creating an experience people remember.
Through Sweet and Sassy’s catering and food truck services, she has done exactly that. She is intentional about the quality of her scratch-made food and creates dishes she is proud to share with customers.
She measures a successful day not only by whether her customers are satisfied, but also by how she feels about the food she created.
“Are my customers happy? Did I do a good job? Am I happy with the product that I put out that day?” she asks herself.
The most important part of her creative process? Cooking hungry.
“In my mind, I’m building these flavors, and everything just ends up coming out so much better when I’m hungry,” Tandalyn said.
During especially busy periods, she remains focused on creating memorable meals for her customers—even when that means forgetting to stop and eat herself. She knows she has created a successful experience when customers continue coming back.
Finding the Recipe for Business Growth
Tandalyn brought years of culinary experience to Sweet and Sassy, but building the company taught her that running a business required an entirely new set of skills.
Through the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center and its 100Knoxville program, she gained tools and knowledge that helped her grow not only as a chef, but also as a business owner.
One of her biggest takeaways was the importance of understanding her target market. Instead of trying to reach everyone, she learned to focus on the customers who appreciate the quality, creativity and complete experience behind her food.
“I think one of the things I was trying to do was trying to be everything for everyone,” Tandalyn said.
By strengthening the business side of Sweet and Sassy, she has been able to devote more attention to what matters most: creating memorable experiences for customers who value the time and skill behind every dish.
Looking Toward the Future
Tandalyn hopes to open a restaurant where she can continue sharing her Creole cuisine. As she works toward that goal, she plans to create the same kinds of experiences that have defined Sweet and Sassy from the beginning: good food made with intention, creativity and care.
