Meet Aquoinette Cooper | Intimate Events Caterer, Baker, And More

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aquoinette Cooper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aquoinette, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
The single most important decision I have made that contributes to my success is when I decided to focus on alignment rather than convenience. In my industry the tasks are very hands on and your presence is imperative. While there have been offers to assist in preparing food, helping with event service detail, or even suggesting guidance. I’ve learner that although convenient, available and their heart is in the right place the alignment is not at the level required for operational growth and the long-term vision I have for my company.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart from others is my capacity to execute an idea, my ability to evolve with innovative solutions, my logistical and resilient foresight in knowing when to pivot and for how long.

I am most proud of my resilience. The Culinary Industry can be very difficult to navigate mainly because our items are perishable. We have to continue to think outside of box a little further when it comes to engaging marketing strategies, targeting the right clientele, and the most common challenges are our price points. Many would believe the challenge with price points is the competition. Instead, it is actually figuring out all of your labor costs to produce AND MAINTAIN your goods (perishable items) and services (type of event and servers). This additional tasks provides a different layer of complexity some other business do not experience. Needless to say with an ever changing economy this will always be an evolving part of the culinary industry.

It is my true belief that perseverance and order is the key to any level of success. It is not about how quickly you can accomplish your goals, but how you gather and study your data to maintain them. I have never been a fan of skipping steps. Most of the time we miss something vital and have to double-back to relearn what was missed. So why not just do things in order the first at your own pace. For some it may seem like it takes longer this way. However, a friend told me that time is a continuum. When we do things in order time is never lost but merely fulfilled. We arrive at our destination quicker this way.

Learning perseverance has not been easy by any means. I ran into many difficulties, dilemmas, and disappointments. We will call them the “3D Moments” One major difficulty was trying to balance my full-time job and still be available mentally and physically for the development of my business. This is where I had to perfect my time management skills. And although I received opinions on how to push forward it was important that I stayed true to my own capabilities. I had to constantly remind myself “This is YOUR JOURNEY. What works for others might not work for you, Aquoinette” This helped me to stay the course with my vision and allowed me sit in those moments and be strategic about the next move, instead of reacting out of anxiety.

As the years carried on there were also dilemmas as you would image. Two common Dilemmas choosing suppliers and having a contingent supplier on stand by. Choosing a supplier takes time as you develop your culinary style of food prep and baking. I learned that it is wise to give yourself a grace period and do a few tests with close friends or family. This way you can sample a variety of suppliers before committing to one that does not provide the level of service you require. The same theory is also applied with contingency planning. It’s just as important and can take some trial and error to find the best fit. Again, perseverance is key and requires mental discipline. Especially when encountering the third “D” DISAPPOINTMENTS Where do I begin……. I put this one in all caps because out of all the my 3D Moments I have to admit disappointments have been the hardest for me.

In the beginning so many people are excited for you and ready to support you but you learn very quickly to believe their actions and not their words. The disappointments hurt the most when it involves those the closest to us. Learning to reassess my expectations with people I knew took some time to develop and manage. I now understand when people want to support you, it is up to YOU as the owner to decide how and in what capacity they SHOULD support your business. And again, it’s ok to give yourself a grace period to test people out and vet them according to your vision not theirs.

See the recurring theme of perseverance? These 3D Moments could have been distractions to discourage me to quit and give up if I allowed them to. Instead I pushed through them with prayer and meditation to be guided on what was best for me. Even if it required stepping back for a while to regroup and recharge. You see the significant lesson I would like people to remember about your 3D Moments is that they happen exactly for that reason. To help us to see the picture of our businesses from more than just one angle or perspective and forces us to think critically and strategically on the best options for resolution. Trust me they were certainly part of the growing pains but necessary for the level I have achieved with my business thus far.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are SOOOOOO MANY Amazing Activities in Atlanta. This would just be the beginning of many follow up trips! The Itinerary Will Look Something Like This:

AIR BNB with a pool in Rosewell.

Sunday – Grab snacks and light food for the week. Rest. Prepare for late evening reservation for dinner and cocktails at BLAZE.

Monday – Prepare quick breakfast. Head to the Martin Luther King Walking Tour and the Civil Rights Museum. Grab Lunch at MOXIE BURGER. Rest. Prepare quick dinner at AIR BNB then prepare for an evening paint session at PAINT SIP SOCIALIZE.

Tuesday – Sleep in. Prepare for a BELTLINE TOUR to try some appetizing new food. Then we will head to CASCADES to try and remember how to skate LOL!!!!

Wednesday – Sleep in. Do some leisure shopping at PERIMETER AND LENOX MALLS or Visit The Roswell Mill Waterfall. Then prepare for a drive to MEDIEVIL TIMES Dinner and Tournament for some laughs.

Thursday – Brunch at Poach Social. Head to Melanated Beauty Spa for some R&R and rejuvenation. Meet up with family for Dinner at C&S Seafood and Oyster.

Friday – Prepare quick breakfast. Then we will get ready for indoor skydiving at iFLY! Rest up a bit and finally enjoy dinner, cocktails, and entertainment at the Atlanta Illuminarium.

Saturday – Brunch at Air BNB with family prepared by a Personal Chef. We all will tour The Aquarium and have a late lunch there. Have family game night back at the Air BNB.

Sunday – Back to home

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many revered loved ones to recognize in the journey. Most have passed on and their memories are what push me to strive for greatness. My creative and elegant mother, (Ora Cooper) my first impression of how to elevate simple dishes and baked goods to another level. My very structured and orderly father, (Sam Cooper) who was always big on breakfast. Sausage, bacon, eggs, and grits were a staple in our house and he showed me how to prepare them all. My loving and nurturing grandmother, (Sophronia Williams) who was the head of the High School Cafeteria Dept where my parents met always allowed me to help her with mixing cake ingredients, jarring fruit, and more! I also have MANY AMAZING aunts that I watched preparing food from scratch for holidays and family gatherings who are also the foundation of my story. They all saw my gifts at an early age and began cultivating my baking and cooking skills at 10 years old.

Around ages 12 and 13 The church I grew up in “Greater Enon Missionary Baptist Church” allowed me to assist with kitchen committee tasks when we served breakfast or dinner to the congregation and guests after services. Also two very significant women from the church whom I spent a lot of time with outside of the church setting were Sis. Ludean Hutch aka “Two-Mama” and Ms. Galena Puckett. These Amazing women showed me how to make a variety of comfort soups, stews, biscuits, and pancakes, along with, how to prepare and store fresh vegetables straight from the garden. By the time I was 16 Home Economics was literally a breeze. Just another day in the kitchen! Lol!

There are SO MANY more INCREDIBLE PEOPLE AND MENTORS who have supported, influenced, and inspired me throughout my journey as an adult. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities to learn from their life experiences.

Website: www.justadelight.com

Instagram: we_r_delightful

Facebook: Delightful Cakes and Catering

Image Credits
James Isaac Jones Photography