Meet Kendrick Parker

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

Hi Kendrick, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
One thing that many people don’t understand about hot sauce is how long it maintains freshness. Namely vinegar based hot sauces. Vinegar based hot sauce that hasn’t been opened can last for years beyond the “best buy” date. Not to be confused with an expiration date. Its more about freshness. Once its opened and put in the fridge of course that time is cut down but not specifically by the date, but by the time from opening.

What should our readers know about your business?

I was born in Baton Rouge and raised in Plaquemine Louisiana. I graduated from Plaquemine High School then Southern University in Baton Rouge with my bachelors in Sociology in 2007. I went on from there to become a bank manager and assistant vice president with Hancock/ Whitney Bank for 6 1\2 years. In 2014 I was given the opportunity to become an agent/owner of a State Farm Agency. I have now been an owner for almost 11 years. In this time frame I have owned four other businesses. I sold two which enabled me to create my hot sauce business, Mae’s Bayou.

I named this business in honor of my mother, Eunice Mae Parker whose nickname is Mae Mae. My mother loves to cook and folks love her cooking so I’ve always been inspired by her food. That’s part of why one of my businesses was a food truck. This opened me up to a world of opportunities to share what my mom taught me about cooking. While 2021 was a great year for my food truck, it was a rough year for my mother as she battled breast cancer. Going back and forth from Fort Worth to Baton Rouge for her surgery and treatment truly tested me as I was managing 3 businesses. It was then when I realized that my mother would be moving to Texas with me sooner rather than later.

I launched Mae’s Bayou LLC on May 21, 2023, at my mother’s 70th birthday party. In July my mom moved to Irving, Texas where she lived with my niece for a few months. October of 2023 my mom moved in with me. A few months after that we found out that she had type 2 diabetes and a new battle began. Though we are at war with her health issues, this does not stop her from going to pop up events and farmers markets to sell hot sauce. She also gets to do a little shopping on the side.

One of my main goals with this business is to give my mom more of a sense of ownership, self importance and life enjoyment. This business helps us meet new people, have new experiences, while enjoying the fruits of our labor together. Additionally, we want to bring flavor and heat to the world’s palate without burning up any tastebuds. I would like Mae’s Bayou to be the go-to for those looking for flavor to pair with anything they can think of. Our list of priorities is long, but customer satisfaction, providing quality sauces, and fostering solid community relationships are all at the top.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I moved to Fort Worth in 2014. One of my closest visited me off and on until he moved from Baton Rouge to Fort Worth, same as me, in 2018. We were younger at the time so of course going out for food and drink was top tier. We did a lot of traveling, business, worked together so i know him well. Today if he didn’t live here and I had to show him around, we would probably get up early and go for a run at Trinity Trails in Fort Worth to start a couple of the days. We love downtown areas and rooftops so we would go to Happiest Hour for Brunch and take in downtown Dallas, Mexican Sugar in Irving one day, then Social House in Arlington. If it was crawfish season we would definitely get some boiled crawfish from Ya Betta Talk 2 Me food truck in Arlington. True Louisiana boys through and through. We are both big on live music so we would go to Magnolia wine bar one night and Sandaga’s another. It’s football season so anywhere that’s playing the LSU Tigers or New Orleans Saints games would definitely be on the schedule. Then one of the last days of the visit would be relaxing at the house either doing a seafood or meat boil ourselves or grilling while reminiscing on our lives and futures.

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?
My mother Eunice Parker is my inspiration for my hot sauces. Growing up eating what she cooked helped me hone my tastebuds. Cooking for others in large quantities helped me gauge other folks tastes and other cultures appreciation for Louisiana cuisine. These opportunities eventually led me to create a hot sauces that many share with me that they enjoy. And it all started with my favorite girl, Mae Mae!

Website: https://www.maesbayou.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maesbayou/

Twitter: https://www.tiktok.com/@maesbayou/video/7284626473678310699

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaesBayou/