TC Bakery, founded by Jennifer Young, has made history as the first Black woman-owned bakery at Tallahassee International Airport. Drawing inspiration from her family’s entrepreneurial background, Young embarked on her journey as an entrepreneur almost seven years ago, starting the bakery from her own home.
“My parents, Isaac and Tommie Williams, owned a popular restaurant in the ’80s and ’90s called Ma Mary’s Kitchen, located on the campus of FAMU,” Young disclosed to Tallahassee Foodies.
“My mother died when I was ten, and my daddy continued to raise me as a single father. I began baking in 2016 after the birth of my twins, using a cookbook that was passed down to me and adding my own twist to the recipes. At the time, I was dealing with postpartum depression and needed an outlet to soothe the anxiety and sadness I felt.”
Years later, she opened a storefront in her own restaurant and bakery located in the same place where her parents had their restaurant. Her dad supported her throughout the process. After one year of opening, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing many businesses to close. Young had to make changes to survive, so she focused on baking and temporarily closed the food part of her business. People staying at home loved her sweets, and her bakery became very popular.
In the past three years, TC Bakery expanded from serving only the shop’s customers to selling their goods in stores or for commercial purposes. They recently moved to a bigger place in Crawfordville, where they don’t have much competition except for grocery stores.
Today, TC Bakery has entered a new phase of business at Tallahassee International Airport, according to WTXL ABC27. Their future plans include opening a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen space, expanding through franchising, and having their products stocked in more stores.
Currently, TC Bakery products can be found in various stores, such as Community CO-OP, Piggly Wiggly of Tallahassee, Fresh 4 Less, Piggly Wiggly of Quincy, RedEye Coffee, Gocki’s Restaurant & Retail, Smoothie Time, and more.
The entrepreneur is working on expanding her bakery’s presence to make its delicious treats available to a wider audience.
