Juneteenth and Mrs. Pruitt's Gourmet Cha Cha

A relish, a condiment, a marinade, and a salsa. That is Cha Cha. Rooted in the Black south, it typically includes cabbage, green tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions and spices. Making Cha Cha preserved the bounty of produce from family gardens.

Linda Williams-Pruitt and her husband grew up eating their families’ Cha Cha. Linda actually learned to garden alongside her mother and grandmother. Her passion led her to become an urban farmer and master gardener. In 2010, she created Mrs. Pruitt’s Cha Cha, named after her husband’s grandmother and her Cha Cha recipe. The recipe dates back to 1830!

Mrs. Pruitt’s Gourmet Cha Cha is not just delicious and versatile. For Linda, it’s also a way to transmit Black history and culture. So to honor Juneteenth, TAP is recognizing Mrs. Pruitt’s Cha Cha, and the work Linda has put into building this business.  

Linda sought TAP’s assistance to help grow her company. She had an extensive schedule of farmer’s markets, and wanted to build her retail store presence. Linda was concerned about financials, cost, branding and marketing and sorting out team responsibilities. 

In a post-project survey, Linda praised her consultants Suzy Haber Wakefield and Teresa Shock. She wrote, “The process was superior. I would not change a thing . . .  What was so positive was that they kept me on track to the point that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Teresa focused on financials, with an emphasis on helping Linda understand her cost of goods, and its impact on profit margins. Teresa and Linda worked together to organize Mrs. Pruitt’s financials in QuickBooks, making it a valuable source of information for Linda to draw on. One key takeaway was the need to manage expenses and hold vendors accountable. 

Suzy focused on marketing and brand awareness. Using TAP’s proprietary Website/Brand Audit tool, she and Linda took a hard look at the Mrs. Pruitt’s website. They found a number of ways that changes to the website could better support the brand. 

With the audit, Linda now has a roadmap to strengthen her branding and messaging. Equally important, Suzy and Linda identified social media and marketing resources that might be available in the community, thus reducing the need to rely on paid consultants.  

It may be an old recipe. But it’s a thoroughly modern business.
#juneteenth #blackownedbusiness #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #food