The synergy that Michael Blackwell and Lacy Bussey have developed at Chef's Kitchen, 1070 Clearlake Rd, can be tasted in every dish in the restaurant. The business started as an idea inspired by the siblings' grandmother. Michael and his grandmother regularly prayed over the idea of the restaurant, but unfortunately, she passed away in August of 2021. Her passing served as motivation to keep going and the restaurant opened less than a week later. The menu boasts popular soul food dishes like smothered pork chops, meatloaf, mac and cheese, and collard greens. When Chef's Kitchen moved into the old China Dragon location, the kitchen was equipped with a wok station.

Chef Michael has always been inspired by Asian cuisine and with the perfect kitchen he has started to expand the menu. Dishes like fried rice, beef and broccoli, and egg rolls can be found as specials on “Wok Wednesdays”, if you are in the mood for something other than soul food. The team is also working on bringing these two cuisines together, one of the fusion delicacies is called the soul roll, made up of cabbage, smothered pork chop, mac and cheese all rolled into a tasty egg roll.

The dynamic big brother/little sister team were the recipients of Cocoa's first Upstart Cocoa Small Business Forgivable Loan. After 6 months in business, they are refining and perfecting their business operations with the help of a team of mentors from weVENTURE, a nonprofit that specializes in helping small businesses successfully start and grow their business. Lacy notes without hesitation, “The weVENTURE training is going awesome! Any time we have a question or problem the mentorship team really cares, and they want to see us succeed.” They are receiving advice on financial items, social media/marketing, technical support, and lessons learned from a long time restaurant owner. Neither Michael nor Lacy come from backgrounds in business so one of the biggest takeaways they have received from weVENTURE is recording data and letting those numbers drive the business, from inventory to menu items. When asked if they think other entrepreneurs would find value in the weVENTURE program, Michael and Lacy exclaim in unison, “We would definitely recommend the weVENTURE program to other businesses!”

Order your favorites today by calling, stopping by, or ordering online. Chef's Kitchen is open Wednesday through Saturday 11 AM to 8 PM and Sundays 11 am to 7 PM. Just google Chef's Kitchen to order online or find the restaurant listed on Door Dash, Grub Hub, or Uber Eats. For catering or to place an order for pickup, call 321-806-4952.

Toppertown, a long-standing establishment located in the Cocoa community, is celebrating its 50^th year in business. The business has grown with the commitment and care of three generations of Condons. Jack and Jill Condon opened Toppertown’s doors in 1971, managing the business before John and Christine Condon took over in 1986. This year marks the third ‘passing of the torch’ with Christine retiring and grandson of Jack and Jill, Alex Condon, taking over.
 
 When Jack and Jill opened, the focus as you might imagine from the name Toppertown, was on aluminum truck tops and bed covers. As the business has grown, more services and products have been added to the list. When perusing the Toppertown website you now see a product list including custom lighting and light bars, bed covers, running boards, roof racks, towing equipment such as 5th wheels and gooseneck hitches, backup cameras and parking sensors, Tommy Gates, and of course, truck toppers. All Toppertown products are installed on site by knowledgeable and friendly members of the Toppertown Team. Products aren’t limited to trucks either, you can find solutions for all types of vehicles from trucks, commercial vans, box trucks, to law enforcement vehicles, private automobiles, RVs, and even motorcycles.

The Condon family attributes Toppertown’s success to a reputation built on the quality of their products and the service provided to their customers over the years. When visiting Toppertown’s website, you find photos, video and testimonials from appreciative clients. If you’re looking for a custom accessory or product for your vehicle, reach out to the experts at Toppertown on Clearlake Road. Call the Toppertown team at 321-632-1644 or visit the Toppertown website.

NuCreations714 is a professional hair braiding salon that provides clients with extraordinary styles. Ciera Frederick, owner, provides braiding and styling options that help clients maintain their hair easily. The salon is located at 970 N Cocoa Blvd., Suite #5.

The company slogan is, “Life is too short to have boring hair!”, and with Ciera's help, you can find a distinct style that works for you and is far from boring. She will help you express your personality whether you want braids for a specific event or just an everyday look, Ciera offers a wide range of different styles. Ciera say's with the utmost confidence, “I can transform your appearance by braiding your hair in many different ways based on your preference.” Some of the most popular styles are natural, knotless, and coi leray braids. She also offers soft locs, faux locs, and extension locs over natural locs. You can see all the style selections on her website.

Braided styles can save time and energy in daily hair styling and the tradition of braids can be traced back 5,000 years in African culture. Braiding can protect the hair, promote growth, and correct damage. Ciera's 15 plus years of experience have also given her the ability to offer her own time proven NuCreations714 products. She sells a go-to deep conditioner, purple luxury hair bonnets with the NuCreations714 logo, and edge control for all hair types to smooth back hair with any style.

NuCreations714 just celebrated its one-year anniversary in the City of Cocoa. Ciera is a testament that hard work and savings produces small business success. She has built a loyal and diverse client base, serving children to seniors and everyone in between. Clients travel from Daytona, Orlando and Palm Bay, so make sure you call in advance to make an appointment as Ciera is in high demand.

If you are looking for a professional hair braider, give Ciera Frederick at NuCreations714 a call at 3212232674. Services are provided by appointment only. Find NuCreations714 on Instagram @NuCreations_714, Facebook @NuCreations714or online at www.Nucreations714.com.