I came from a low income, Christian family of 6, Dad, mom, me, two younger sisters and a younger brother. Dad was a preacher and mom worked in the family bakery. We hardly ever went out to eat. So cooking was a regular everyday occurrence in our home.

My Mom’s dad started a small bakery in our home town of Perry FL, in 1954. Mom worked decorating cakes, frying donuts and short order grill. So it was a regular spot for 4 kids while mother worked. We all grew up in what is still today Johnson’s Bakery and coffee shop.

I guess you can say the cooking and baking is in my blood. My Dad did a lot of the cooking in our home. He was an awesome cook! He mostly would cook the meat and mom would cook the sides.

As a child, I worked at the Bakery a lot – frying donuts, cleaning, whatever I could do. My mom’s brother, Uncle Donnie was the baking expert. He really taught me a lot and I respected him so much. He would always show me how and why he did the things the way he did. He was old school in baking, no short cuts. It really was a great place to learn.

Fast forward as an adult, cooking has always been a passion of mine. In 2015 I opened Tommy’s Bakery and Café in Macon, GA. I was finally doing what I always wanted to do, Cook! I was in Heaven! I would stand at an exact replica butcher block table that I had made and make donuts. Not a single day would go by that I did not think of the family Bakery back home and watching my uncle do the very same thing that I was now doing and the exact same way. The smells would take me back to my childhood every day.

I was glad to be by myself and get back to doing exclusively what I love to do – cook and bake. Nothing makes me happier than to see a smile on someone’s face after they have eaten my meals. I really love to cook and bake. I am always developing new recipes or as I tell my mom, “perfecting” old family recipes.

I really love what I am doing and putting smiles on faces makes me smile also. So whenever you need catering, a meal for any occasion, or just do not want to cook yourself, give me a call and let me cook it for you!