TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The COVID-19 pandemic has been anything but easy on small businesses.
"A lot of my friends in the business were just starting to shut down. We had to make a decision if we were going to shut down and pursue it down the road," said Nosh Tucson owner and founder, Tina Marie Wilken.
Instead, Wilken did the opposite. Alongside her husband, Wilken quit her full-time day job and got to work on a life-long dream.
"I think my decision to transition away from the other career, to fully put myself into this, has been helpful. We really are just doing our best to keep up with the trends, pay attention to what the Pima County Health Department and the CDC are putting out and being innovative in what we're offering," said Wilken.
Wilken is baking everything from her home kitchen. She showcases her decadent desserts on social media and was featured on Blax Friday: a website that highlights black-owned businesses in Arizona.
"It's a way for people to support black-owned businesses. They can directly find them there. I know it wasn't really easy before. That gave us a lot of exposure," said Wilken.
Wilken said all the hard work is all paying off.
"It's not like we're immune to everything that's going on, but we're doing our best to keep with the trends."
Nosh Tucson recently turned their first profit. Wilken plans to keep growing the business.
"If you told me this at this time last year, I wouldn't have believed you. We're really excited that our goals are being accelerated."
Wilken hopes to one day open her own brick-and-mortar restaurant in Tucson.
To learn more about Nosh Tucson, click here.
