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A new way for takeout Paul Bickford Northern News Services Published Monday, March 19, 2012
"It's a home-cooking business," Kikoak said. "We serve a full-service lunch, but our suppers are take home for the family or individual." The suppers are offered on a regular weekday schedule - such as wonton soup on Mondays and a roast supper on Wednesday's - and customers can pre-order the meals. "It's the new way to take out in Fort Smith with wholesome cooking," Kikoak said. She uses e-mail and texting to advertise, keep in contact with regular clients and tell them what's on the menu. The new business, which is solely owned by Kikoak, operates in a space at her mother Joan Bevington's fitness club and juice bar. "We share a till, but it's my business," Kikoak said. She built a new kitchen in space at her mother's business. Kikoak said the idea for the new business evolved in collaboration with a couple of friends, but she was the only one who continued on to see it developed. "I was the only one that really sunk my teeth into it," she said with a laugh. Kikoak explained it is becoming more common to attach health food stores or bakeries to places like fitness clubs and gyms. "It's a trend, I think, out there, because people are opening their eyes to the food industry and they're wanting some options," she said. The 32-year-old entrepreneur said her new business works well with her mother's fitness club, since many club members enjoy the food service. "They build on each other," she said. Anna's Home Cooking opened for business in mid-November and held its grand opening event in January. Kikoak, who is the daughter of Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington, said her love of cooking originated with the fact she comes from a family with a big gardening history and a tradition of having large family dinners. "Close-knit community equals family dinners, so then you get exposed to a lot of good cooking at family dinners," she said, adding she didn't go to cooking school. "But I've always liked to cook." Kikoak noted she was also the tour cook for the Fort Smith rock band State of the Art, which includes her husband, Brandon Kikoak. "I would travel with the band and cook in the hotel rooms," she recalled. "Even if they didn't have a kitchen in the hotel room, I would make food on electric skillets." The Kikoaks have four children, aged from two to 11. Kikoak said it was a challenge starting a business with a family and she worked as hard as she could. "With my family, and the business plan and getting the business up-and-running, I was just full tilt and I'm still going like that," she said. It is a great thing to start a business and see a plan come to fruition, she said. "It's very rewarding and gives you confidence." Three people work at Anna's Home Cooking. Kikoak said she wants her new business to be the healthy option in Fort Smith. She said she uses "first-choice ingredients" for her homemade foods, which include dressings, muffins and multigrain bread. "It's not processed," she said. "That's home cooking."
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