Riko’s Kickin’ Chickin’ | Tiffany Wiley

The Medical District circa 2015 was a vastly different place than it is today. Our still-growing and visibly thriving community felt very different. Community events were scarce, few restaurants were open, and MMDC was a year from launching.

To say it was uncertain whether a small, locally-owned business would survive here eight years ago is an understatement. But that’s just what Tiffany and Riko Wiley did.

Beginning as a food truck in 2014, the husband and wife duo got the idea to open up a brick-and-mortar location after serving Youth Villages on Super Sunday. A local landlord at the event suggested they look into the Madison Heights neighborhood of the Medical District. Soon after, they decided to make the leap and open up shop at 1329 Madison Ave. 

With limited working capital, Tiffany and Riko dedicated themselves to their business, quickly garnering acclaim for their wings. After our organization's founding in 2016, we worked with them to get grant approval and spread the word. 

Tiffany and Riko defeated all doubters with their passion for food and their kitchen skills. Riko’s Kickin’ Chickin’ is a pillar of the neighborhood. Their success encourages other entrepreneurs to plant roots here and further transform our district from the inside out. 

Earlier this month, we sat down with Tiffany to chronicle her story and learn from her insights and perspective.

There are a lot of wing places in Memphis. What makes Riko’s Kickin’ Chickin’ different?

Because we don’t only have wings. We're like a one-stop shop here. You don’t have to go somewhere else to get a full meal. We try to make everything affordable for families so they can enjoy themselves together. So that’s also why we offer a lot of vegetables, such as our salad combos. We also have tacos, which have become a top menu item recently.

When did you start your business?

We started our food truck in 2014 and our location here in 2015/16.

What led you to the Medical District?

We were asked to cater Super Sunday for Youth Villages. A local landlord there said, “your food is great. You know, you should have a restaurant,” which got us thinking. Then, he showed us this place on Madison. There were not many businesses around, but we stopped by. The area didn't look anything like this! But we felt we could make it work, and now we’re here. 

What’s your favorite part of being located here?

I love the people. I love how everyone uses different transportation, whether walking to work, catching a bus, or Uber. I just love it. I love being surrounded by so many other entrepreneurs in the Midtown area. It's amazing. And I love being a resource for different hospitals around us, especially during the COVID. It was so big for people to be able to walk over and grab food from us or for us to be able to deliver without a convenience fee.

What are some struggles you faced as a business owner?

Having access to working capital. I think it's hard being a minority woman in business. We don't have adequate resources most of the time. We're in our business working. We're not able to just step out and do things. So, and that's one reason I love the Medical District is that you guys have a platform for us to go in and see resources like available grants. But outside of that, it’s a struggle. You guys can only offer so much. I want to do stuff like change my door, repaint our walls, and just spruce it up a little bit. Having little time for that is very challenging.

What vision do you have for the future of the Medical District?

Not only for myself but for the whole community. More outdoor eating areas, better lighting, and more security. I would love our exterior wall to be painted to be eye-catching when people come this way. I’d also like to see our sign and other restaurants like Los Comales on the interstate exit sign so they know we’re here. Thank god we've got an excellent social media presence. But it is still hard for customers to get here.

What is your favorite menu item?

That's a tough one. Of course, I love our wings. Wings have always had a special place in my heart. I love turkey burgers. I love the tacos. But you know what, we have delicious salads too. I also love our deep-fried Turkeys. People come all over for those. You name it, from St. Louis, Alabama, Georgia, or Texas, to pick up their turkeys from us. And we start having pick-ups as early as 5:30 am. So turkeys are a big thing.

What is it that you believe your business brings to Memphis?

Lift. This is an awesome city. There’s so much growth and opportunity here. If you're a young entrepreneur, there is a place for you. I'm excited about what we’re currently doing, and we’re looking forward to doing more. We have another restaurant in an Amazon center. So, we get a lot of Amazon workers that come on here to say, man, I've never even been on this side of Madison! So that's exciting to let them know that a lot is happening in this neighborhood.

Cozy Corner BBQ | Sean Robinson

Tell me a little bit about yourself and the history of your business.

My name is Sean Robinson. I’m the grandson of the original owners. My grandmother and grandfather started it August 1977. Four generations have grown up in the business and we’ve owned it for 44 years. It’s been a blessing for it to last this long, especially through times like this one during the pandemic. Business has stayed constant or increased. Although it’s been a crazy past year and a half, business has still been good.

I’m assuming you all have repeat customers and people that are always here.

Absolutely, we definitely have our loyal customers. I have some come in every week. I know their name and order by hard. A lot of customers are from out of town. There are a lot of Memphians who, I feel like, don’t know about us. There are a lot of people who live here but have never been here before. We’re a word of mouth type of restaurant. We don’t do a lot of advertising. When you’re that good, word of mouth goes a long way!

What attracted Cozy Corner to this location? Tell me more about the building. Why here?

Before we had this building, my grandfather used to have parties almost every weekend at the house. His friends would tell him, “This food is good. You need to open up a restaurant!” After so many people kept telling him, he took it into consideration and he started looking for a restaurant. In 1977, he found this building, it was already named Cozy Corner and it already had a telephone number. It was also already a barbeque restaurant, but it didn’t get as big as it is now until we got it in 1977. My grandfather was cheap and when he bought the building he said, “We aren’t going to change the name or telephone number. We’re going to keep everything the same, but we’re going to use my recipes.” We’ve been using those recipes since 1977. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!

That’s really cool. I love the legacy and tradition. Does Cozy Corner have any signature items? What’s the most popular?

Our top two sellers are the ribs and wings. Of course, everything we do is barbeque, so the wings are whole chicken wings and the ribs are pork spare ribs St. Louis cut. We sell out of ribs and wings almost every day. We close at 8pm and we probably run out of ribs and wings around 7:00 or 7:30pm. We try to cook enough to make it until we close. The third top seller is the Cornish game hen. It’s a small bird, barbeque whole. Cornish hen is definitely another thing we’re known for.

Do you have any recurring special events that happen here?

Not really, but we usually participate in Memphis in May. We usually cater for the Mayor’s tent. We do cater events, and we normally have people pick up the order.

What’s the future vision for Cozy Corner?

The future vision is to open up at least one more location in Memphis. Somewhere on the other side of town, not too close to this location. A lot of mornings, I pass by Cozy Corner around 7:00 AM and it’s the best smell.

How long does the process of BBQ take?

Yes, somebody’s cooking! BBQ in general is very time consuming. We have two cooks. One cook comes in around 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning and leaves around 11 o’clock in the morning. The second cook comes in and leaves around 7 o’clock in the evening. For how long it takes, it really depends on how hot the pits we use to barbeque take. We don’t use thermometers or gauges. We barbeque with charcoal, so no gas or wood. That’s how we cook.

Neat, there’s a whole science to it!

Yes, you have to pay attention and check the food often, because we don’t want to burn anything up. We train our cooks to know what they are doing. The time can vary and depends on how hot it is.

What’s the best way for customers to follow you all?

A lot of it is word of mouth. Cozy Corner also has an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can follow Cozy Corner on all three social media platforms. I created it for us, being the youngest grandchild. You have you evolve with time.

The food will not change, but the technology will! If you weren’t cooking BBQ, what other things would you be doing or cooking in your free time?

I love the Green Bay Packers. My favorite basketball team is the Lakers. I enjoy watching and playing sports, going to the movies, bowling, and hanging out with friends. Other times, I enjoy doing nothing. I can be a homebody.

Is there anything you’d like the Medical District and Memphis community to know?

Yes, through thick and thin, we are so thankful for every customer that walks through the door – loyal ones, new ones, ones that have stuck with us throughout the years. Although business is good, there have been some rough years in the past, where we sometimes didn't know if we were going to make it. Lo and behold, someway, somehow we still did. Definitely thankful for all the customers because if it wasn’t for them, we would not be here. Thank you to every customer.

Fresh Start Facility Services | Johnny Fayne

MMDC sat down with Johnny Fayne, president and CEO of Fresh Start Facility Services, to learn more about his story and experience participating in our Buy Local program.

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your business?

I started Fresh Start Facility Services in 2006 and it is a 100% minority owned full-service janitorial business. We’ve been working with several large logistical centers and currently work with a manufacturing company with over 2 million square feet. We’ve worked in the medical field on extensive projects in the Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi markets. Locally we’ve had partnerships with Methodist Le Bonheur Hospital and Regional One Health. We have also worked in the Nashville market for five years supporting Vanderbilt and in Mississippi with ABB, where we service their national distribution center. Right now, we are working with Rosemark, known across the national and international market offering chemicals for disinfection and sanitation. 

How did you get started in the janitorial industry?

I have an extensive background in management through my tenure at FedEx managing flight and truck operations, hazardous materials, and more. I started their hazardous materials program 20 years ago that is still in operation today. I retired from there managing their international freight operations, the largest operation in the entire company and biggest revenue driver at the time and as manager of the year. 

I got into this field almost by accident. I introduced a friend to this field but later joined the field working with our first customer in 2006, Hino Motors in Marion, Arkansas, a subsidiary of Toyota. They have almost a two million square foot facility and we are proud to still maintain their business today.

Why did you choose to locate your business in Memphis?

Our business has always been in the medical district. Our first office was at 1331 Union. At the time when we started, we were looking for a downtown or close business that would make it easier for customers and employees to reach us. It has worked out very well. 

What part of your business are you most proud of?

In the janitorial space that we operate in now, there is a 200% employee turnover rate. However, we have been able to keep our retention rate very low- with little turnover. We try to make it comfortable for our employees and find ways to help them access services around town. And we are working to increase our minimum wages to $15 an hour. It’s almost a ministry where we are helping our community thrive- no one can survive on $7-$8 an hour. And we are excited about helping our employees move from a $12 to $15 starting wage. 

Why is it important to support local businesses? I think what gives us an advantage over a national brand is that we know and use the local suppliers. We use the same equipment as the national brands that are well known. For example, when equipment breaks down, we have the same relationship or better with the local people that provide that service. The same people that they would reach out to we often have a better relationship with them and can get quicker, better service. I think when companies consider working with local businesses, this is important to consider- they have the connections to get the job done, unlike national companies who have to turn around and find and build new relationships. The employee base is also important to understand. A national company must hold a career fair to obtain employees.  At one time we were competing with a national company who had a career fair where less than 40 people showed up to meet them versus the 300 people who showed up to meet us. Who knows Memphis more than local businesses and can relate to our local worker base and their needs? This insight allows companies like ours to flourish and provide a higher level of professionalism to the market. 

How have you been working with Hire Local? 

As our contracts are growing in Memphis and with institutions partnered with MMDC, we have partnered with their Hire Local program to identify and fast-track local residents into a new career field. Hire Local is targeting residents who live in the 38103, 38104, 38105, 38106, 38107, 38112, 38114, 38127 zip codes who may be interested in learning a new skill, in full-time roles, close to home. The current training collaboration helps both Fresh Start Facility Services grow their talent team and supports MMDC’s strategic goal to increase the employment rate of residents in and close to the medical district. Get more information on the Hire Local training opportunity by visiting https://hirelocal901.com/job-seekers/training/. 

Is there anything else you’d like the public to know about yourself or your business?

We are a business with a proven track record that is ready to scale. We value relationships with both our clients, our employees and local suppliers. And we are committed to helping our community grow as we do.

Slim & Husky’s | Derrick Moore

Interview by:

Mariko Krause, Senior Program Associate 

What do pizza, the arts, and snacks have in common? Read more to find out! I had the opportunity to interview Derrick Moore, co-owner of Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria, where I learned about their mission, their drive to be part of the community, and more about their specialty items. Not only is there a dine-in and to-go option, but they also have walk-up windows for those that are on the go. Reader warning: you may be inclined to immediately crave pizza, cinnamon rolls, and head to Slim & Husky’s right after this!  

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and the history of your business?

Yes, Memphis is the seventh location. From the beginning, my partners and I had a  moving company from 2010 until 2017. We grew it and sold the company. We started working on Slim & Husky’s in 2015, finalized the concept, and opened in March 2017. I  was one of the original founders. I’ve been in the thick of it from the beginning until now.  

What attracted Slim & Husky’s to the Medical District – Edge District?

Memphis was #1 because it’s down the street from Nashville and we have close ties to the city. My family is from Memphis – my mom, grandma, aunts, and cousins are from here. As a kid and adult, I spent time down here. Memphis is familiar and feels like home. The people are just awesome. The culture of Memphis is to really embrace small and local brands, and they do it better than any city I’ve seen. We knew we’d have success in Memphis. We wanted to pour more hope into the city and provide jobs for those in our community. The Edge District was the perfect location. It wasn’t all the way Downtown but wasn’t far away from neighborhoods. It was the perfect place for us to open up. The opportunity presented itself and we jumped on it.  

Have you ever received any business support from MMDC? 

Yes – tons of it. Not just grants but also they helped pay for some outdoor seating.  They have been a tremendous help with everything from top to bottom. Vonesha  [Mitchell] has been great. If we needed employees, they were willing to help find employees. Everything that they could help us with, they either did it, or they offered it. It’s a great organization with really good people. It’s been dope working with them. And they didn’t just leave us at the open; they still keep in touch. It’s a good relationship.  

Do you have any special or signature items? Most popular? 

[As far as,] special items, we’ve got signature pizzas, vegan options, the “Nothin but a  ‘V’ thang” – that’s a vegan option, all the way up to the “Cee no green” for the men and women who like to pile on the meats. We have specialty cinnamon rolls drizzles to die for. Everything is 100% authentic. We pour a lot into it and the reception has been awesome. Anything someone wants to put on a pizza, we got it – except for anchovies! We substituted anchovies with something with a little bit more taste. We’ve got salmon and shrimp for our pizzas.  

What’s your favorite pizza topping? 

I get the same pizza every single time. I do “Build my own” with red sauce, five cheese blend, my meats: beef, pepperoni, chicken sausage, and my vegetables are green olives, mushrooms, onion, and green peppers. I get that every single time.  

This is “The Derrick” Pizza! Slim & Husky’s has a really prominent social media account and website. What’s the best way people can stay in touch with S&H?

Probably Instagram [fun fact: S&H has over 73K followers on IG!]  

Do you have any recurring special events that happen here? 

Before Covid-19, we used to do a scholarship for kids and movie nights. As a business, you have to be careful because people are looking at you to set an example. We just haven’t been able to right now. We used to do so much. We are looking forward to  getting that back started; we don’t want to put people in danger so we’ll hold off [until  we can gather again.] 

 How do you see S&H growing within the Medical District community? 

We will grow within the Medical District for sure. We are looking forward to when things open up to produce events with the MMDC. Anything we can do with the community as a whole and our neighbors. I just love the Edge District, especially once  [the Ravine] comes up. The only way is up with the Medical District right now!    

I love the artwork and vibe in the space when you first walk in. Slim & Husky’s has worked with Quantavious “Toonky” Worship (@toonky_berry), Jamond Bullock (@alivepaint), and a couple of other Black artists that I saw are from Nashville. Why is that important, and can you speak about that experience?  

It’s always important for us. Our thing is Pizza. Art. Music. We highlight the creativity with the pizza, the creativity with the music – you come in and might hear R&B, some hip hop from the 90s, 2000s, we’ll play it. The arts are very important to us. We love the exposure and continue to expose our community to the arts. 

African Americans as a whole are very creative with the arts, music, food, and also business. Historically, to survive and make it in this country as a whole, we have to be creative. For the artists, we always want to tap into the local community and give exposure to them. It’s always fun [to work with those artists.] 

Is there anything else you’d like the Memphis/Medical District community to know about your business? 

I would like for people to know that we are a community-based business. If they don’t know, hopefully, we can show them based off by working with teachers, artists, and employing people from the community. When things really open back up, we can show them how we like to get our hands dirty and get involved with the community. I would  like people to know that we appreciate the community we go in and when you make  yourself part of the community, and not just move and say “Hey, I’m open, now come  support.” [Instead,] we believe in really getting in there and getting after it with the people in the community.  

I love it! That’s really inspiring and makes the business model so much more humanizing and engaging.  

If you weren’t eating pizza, what other things would you be working on or eating? When I’m not eating pizza, I’m snackin’ for real – I’m a chips and fruit snack type dude.  If I wasn’t working in the pizza sector, I’d like to be working on a bar or art gallery. I’m actually doing some of that stuff now in Nashville. I love it and we look forward to doing something like that in Memphis.  

Slim and Husky’s is located at 634 Union Ave. Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter!

Hire Local Stories | Anjelicia P.

Hire Local helped me take care of my family.

“After completing Hire Local's training program, I went from being unemployed to hired full-time. Next week I will start a new career with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital as a Housekeeping Attendant. I have always wanted to work in the healthcare field. Before I had my son I wanted to be an anesthesiologist and work at Le Bonheur. I can see the hospital from my home and dreamed about working there. I heard about Hire Local through Urban Strategies. I needed a change and decided to give it a shot. Now I can take care of my children’s needs and not say no to the little things they want. I will be working close to home, in a hospital and making double the wages I made in food services. I went from making $7.50 an hour to $15.00 an hour. I can see the hospital sign from my home and can walk to work. I’m looking forward to growing with the company and moving up the healthcare ladder. Hire Local helped every step of the way from training to job placement to uniform support. I am proud to be one step closer to my goal and I can’t wait to start."

-Anjelicia P., Hire Local's 2020 Housekeeping Training Cohort member