Sometimes all it takes is a helping hand.
A week ago, vegan influencer Tabitha Brown headed down to the Vegan House of Pancakes in East Point Georgia to support local business owner, Chef Nikki In The Mix. Nikki had originally met Brown in 2018, staying in touch over the years as they both rose to prominence on their respective entrepreneur journeys.
Chef Nikki and her partner Grey started the business in their home kitchen. Nikki was just making pancakes for her family when Grey encouraged her to sell them, saying they were “some of the best pancakes he’d ever had.” The idea prompted her to launch her brand “Nikki’s Fat A** Cakes,” a vegan pancake mix that’s allergy-friendly. The vegan recipe took off and she gained a loyal following over the years. Most recently, the couple decided to open their first brick-and-mortar store in Georgia, putting a call out to the community requesting support via GoFundMe to help them with the final costs of getting the business up and running.
“We’ve made incredible progress renovating a commercial kitchen to meet health department codes. I’ve poured thousands of dollars into this project, but I need your help to bring this vision to life,” a message on the fundraising page reads.
When Brown made a stop with her family in Georgia, she headed to the new restaurant to try the pancakes for herself, posting a glowing review to her social media accounts.
“Atlanta!!!!!! Baaabbbyyy yall got a pot of gold called [Vegan House of Pancakes]. When I tell you these pancakes are everything!!! Well just look at how my family didn’t even wait to go sit down and eat…and that will tell you everything you need to know. Yall be sure to go support this amazing family and eat good!!!,” Brown captioned the video.
The pancakes are known for their fluffy vegan recipe, offering a gluten free option for Brown as well. Everyone raved about the food and following Brown’s visit, the restaurant experienced their busiest day. And while Nikki and Grey were overly appreciative of the public stamp of approval, the blessings didn’t stop there. Just 20 minutes after Brown left their restaurant, they received a notification from GoFundMe that their fundraising goal had been met!
“Oh my God! Look at that,” Grey can be heard screaming before showing Nikki the GoFundMe.
The goal was originally $8,000. But after a surprise donation from Auntie Tab, the Vegan House of Pancakes exceeded their goal, raising more than $14,000 with the help of a surprise $10,000 donation from Tab. Celebratory screams filled the air from Nikki, Grey, and their team as they sat in the reality of what had just happened. A team member recorded the moment with Brown eventually reposting the video.
“[Tabitha Brown] that $10,000 was a TRUE BLESSING and above and beyond our expectations!! It’s going to help us out SO MUCH!! Now we can enhance the customer experience, hire new staff, and buy a new grill to help with the influx of customers who came out [because] of you! We are truly grateful for you! You will always have a home in our hearts!,” Chef Nikki wrote.
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But for Brown, the support was something that came natural,and just another way for her to pay it forward for someone else building their dreams.
“We are all better together. Blessed to be a blessing!!! As a small business owner, I know that a helping hand is sometimes all we need. I’m so proud of yall…Keep believing, keep going, and keep being you!
Check out the new Vegan House of Pancakes located at 1367 Cleveland Ave. in East Point, Georgia.
Cover photo: Tabitha Brown Helps Georgia Restaurant Reach GoFundMe Goal With Surprise $10K Donation/Photo credit: Vegan House of Pancakes/Instagram