How Tatiana Thomas Started Josephine’s Southern Cuisine from Scratch

AIM’s Racial Equity Fund Alumni Spotlight – Tatiana Thomas, Founder, Josephine’s Southern Cuisine

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Tatiana Thomas is the heart and soul of Josephine's Southern Cuisine. She has been a vibrant presence at AIM’s Hayward Market for three years after turning a dream into a business. Josephine’s Southern Cuisine is a success because of Tatiana’s dedication and delicious food, and a helping hand during a time of need from AIM’s Racial Equity Fund (REF).                          

Raising her boys and being a stay-at-home mom is when Tatiana fell in love with cooking. "Cooking is what fills my cup up," she says, "serving people and seeing their happy faces." Despite encouragement from family and friends, she never considered selling her food professionally. But a period of unemployment following an injury gave her the space to dream. Navigating the complexities of starting a business as a single mother with no prior experience was daunting. "I don't have any business owners within my family or friends,” explains Tatiana, “so I literally had to figure it out every step of the way, and it was kind of scary for me." Looking around her community, Tatiana saw the Hayward Market as a potential place to share her cherished Southern recipes with a wider audience. Her intuition was right. She applied as a vendor and went into her tasting with her chef’s jacket and her confidence. She blew AIM staff away with the quality of her cooking.  

Being accepted into the Racial Equity Fund provided a level of security during an especially challenging year that included pregnancy and a slowdown in business. Tatiana was able to focus on her craft, despite being in an environment that does not provide maternity leave. “I’m doing everything,” she emphasizes. “I wear all the hats, I do all the grocery shopping and the planning, everything comes out of my pocket – this is my little baby.”  

The REF proved to be a pivotal resource in her journey. “I’m really reluctant to take loans out. I liked that it was money that I could put towards my business and not have the burden over me to pay it back,” Tatiana shares.  The waived stall fees were particularly impactful for a new business that was building a customer base. "It helped greatly to just show up and pop up and not have to worry about paying a booth fee, because every week is different," she says.  

Tatiana's advice for future REF recipients is simple: Keep going. She emphasizes the importance of perseverance. "There are so many times when I was just exhausted and was like I don't want to do this anymore,” she recalls, “but that voice in the back of my head was like, ‘keep going.’” 

It has paid off. Tatiana was recently accepted as a vendor at the East 14th Street Kitchen incubator space. "It's a super big deal," she exclaims, "and I also have my name on a sign, so I'm like wow. It's overwhelming in a great way." She’s grateful for the opportunity to pop up in a brick-and-mortar, as well as the added marketing and exposure. 

Tatiana's journey is about feeding her family, her community, and her dreams, but is also about defying expectations. “You wouldn’t be where you’re at today if you just got discouraged and thought this is way too hard.” There is no Josephine’s Southern Cuisine without Tatiana. She hopes her business inspires others, particularly young people, to follow their passions—and their bellies.

HELP SUPPORT THE NEXT COHORT OF AIM’s RACIAL EQUITY FUND   

AIM’s goal is to accept as many Racial Equity Fund participants as we have the funds to support each year, so please donate generously today.