Meet Anna Kathryn Shultz | Gourmet Curbside Founder & Owner, Tyler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Kathryn Shultz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna Kathryn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After graduating from Texas A&M, I became self-employed in the personal assistance & organizational industry. Several of my clients knew that I have always loved to cook and was good at preparing gourmet food. So when the meal prep craze took off several years ago, three clients in the matter of a month all came to me and asked if I would consider meal- prepping for them. At first thought, I said “no way.“ But, after the third person asked me the same question, I thought “goodness maybe there’s something to this!” So I put out a menu for the month of March for every Tuesday. I arrogantly said to myself “this will shut them up!” Thinking nothing would ever come of it. Well, it did. Word spread like wildfire, and every month I gained new clients with zero advertising or marketing. I was simply doing this out of my home every Tuesday, taking pre-orders due the day before. One year into it, and I knew that it was something serious. That’s when my husband unexpectedly lost his corporate job of 24 years, and then Covid hit.

What should our readers know about your business?
Tuesday Takeout gourmet curbside is not a restaurant; we are gourmet curbside and delivery Tuesdays and Thursdays. what we offer, is completely from scratch, healthful and delicious homemade food, that is prepared completely by hand each Tuesday and Thursday. We never add preservatives or MSG, and always source the highest quality ingredients, especially local and organic when possible. Everything we offer is something that I love myself. Nothing ever goes out our door that I have not tasted and helped prepare myself. I try to offer on each menu something that can get you by several days- a hot dinner ready to eat after pick up, a seasonal salad series for lunch the next day, and a rotation of scratch made soups and homemade desserts. Before you know it, it’ll be time to order again for Thursday’s menu that will get you by another few days. I want people to taste our food and feel like it is something that their grandmother would’ve made for them. But most importantly, I want to serve them a healthful meal that they can stop for the day, sit down and gather around the table, and break bread with each other. Our world is so fast-paced, it is imperative to do this each night. Whether you are single, have a family, or invite friends over, it is so vastly important to settle in and let food bring everyone together. It’s a necessity of life, and why not make it delicious to boot?!

There were several hardships while starting Tuesday Takeout: the City planning & zoning changed their mind on what I had started construction on for a commercial kitchen. I was five figures in, and had to completely regroup and start over. And then my husband lost his corporate job of many years very unexpectedly, and then Covid hit. I thought to myself, this is going to be the demise, there’s no way I can last. And then I gained even more business because the grocery shelves were barren, and people knew that we were providing a necessity for life. It’s hard to pat myself on the back, but I would say I am most proud of perseverance. We all have obstacles to face in life, they’re just in different forms. We have to press on and keep the faith and hope alive!

I want folks to know the passion I have for churning out fabulous, scratch-made food prepared with the utmost attention to detail, mindfulness in preparation and sourcing of the best quality ingredients. I use fresh herbs from my garden that I harvest the morning of cooking, and I take inspiration from travels, different cultures, and generations-old family recipes to our Tuesday Takeout table. I want people to feel an extension of my heart in every plate that they eat- and That they may always be welcome around my table.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Tyler is a small town, but is growing. It’s a special place to live and raise a family. Downtown has been revitalized, and is bustling! South Tyler is growing, and historic areas are being preserved. My great grandfather helped start the Rose industry in Tyler, so my first suggestion would be the Tyler Rose garden. Roses were shipped worldwide in the 1920s and 30s from Tyler! I would also say to visit my family‘s nursery, as it offers the peacefulness of creation just by walking out the back doors. It was started in 1927 by my great grandfather, so it is extra special to my heart. There are several local breweries, one being a kitchen neighbor- True Vine. When weather is nice, pick up your dinner from Tuesday Takeout, and have a picnic listening to live bands perform in the Mosaic District. there’s a lot of great restaurants in East Texas: barbecue, Mexican food, steak houses, seafood. And the weather is so nice every spring and fall.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ina Garten, the barefoot Contessa, has always been a kitchen role model for me. She takes classic recipes and makes them practical and doable, and consistently turn out every time. Ultimately, I learned the love of cooking from my both of my parents

Website: www.tuesdaytakeout.com

Instagram: @tuesdaytakeouttyler

Facebook: Tuesday Takeout Tyler