From her mother's kitchen in Saint Louis, Retta learned by getting her hands dirty and figuring things out. A lifelong baker, she entered the workforce making biscuits for a well known chain, back when things were still made from scratch.
Moving to Southwest Florida in 1993, she embarked on an eclectic career that always maintained a close proximity to restaurants and foodservice. After stints in some of the best known fine dining restaurants on Captiva, Sanibel, and Fort Myers, She and her husband decided to realize a lifelong dream to open their own restaurant, little did they know that it would be a food truck.
Tia's Kitchen began in January 2021, but progress is rarely measured a straight line. After a couple of setbacks, our first operating unit opened for business in 2023. Through much hard work, Retta leads her team by example. She has a high standard that shines through once you try her great food . The first year yielded many accolades and awards, and only good things are yet to come.