Shelly, a single parent and first-generation Jamaican American, launched her business, 2Girls & A Cookshop, from her home with her teenage daughter. Her business goals were humble and ambitious at the same time. She wanted to find a way to move production to a commercial kitchen space to ensure more consistent income for her family, pay off debt, and leave behind a legacy for her daughter.
“The tenaciousness, the presence of the Hot Bread Kitchen team is amazing. You say something, they hear you, they act. They’re my advocates, my thought partners, my support team. There has not been one time that I’ve called, texted, emailed that Hot Bread Kitchen hasn’t been there.”
Shelly Flash, 2Girls & A Cookshop
After being met with insatiable demand for her Jamaican-inspired tacos at Smorgasburg, Shelly suddenly found she didn’t just need more production space. She needed to level up her business acumen if she wanted 2Girls to continue growing. Hungry to achieve her aim of supporting her family exclusively with her business, she applied to be part of our first PROOF Pitch Program. Working with our robust network of community partners, Hot Bread Kitchen connected Shelly with a mentor who helped her better understand 2Girls’ financials, establish new operational procedures, and develop a business plan–as well as the confidence to pitch it.
This Fall, Shelly went on to deliver a grand prize-winning presentation at Hot Bread Kitchen’s first PROOF Pitch Showcase, which has helped her and her business find more stable financial footing and opened doors to commercial kitchen access. Now, with the resources and community she found at Hot Bread Kitchen, Shelly is scaling her dreams: 2Girls could soon have a brick-and-mortar, something she never considered before because of the financial risk.
“Participating in PROOF has been one of the most impactful moments of my life… This entire team, this entire experience, has taught me how to dream. That’s huge.”
Shelly Flash
