18 January 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Bringing soul to the Capital City hasn’t been an easy journey for Topeka native Shavonn Smith, but well worth the trials and tribulations for the owner of Nanny’s Food for the Soul.
“I love people, I love what I do,” Smith said. “I’m amazing at what I do. I’m not in it for the money, I’m in it because this is what I enjoy doing. I love making people happy through my food.”
Smith has been a professional chef for over two decades.. Her culinary call kicked off in her own kitchen, where she used her love for cooking to make a difference in her local community.
“I started doing fundraisers for different families here in Topeka when they were in need,” Smith said. “Did fundraisers for people who had lupus and cancer, and did a couple fundraisers for even some of the people in my own family raising funds for funerals and stuff like that. It kinda just went up from there.”
The importance of family to Smith, and Nanny’s as a whole, can’t go understated.
“Learned my dad had cancer last year, New Year’s Day,” Smith said. “My dad gave me a lot of hope. A lot of my recipes, the way I cook, my dad taught me all of that. Moving forward, pushing to be complete and successful in this has a lot to do with my dad, you know. My dad told me that I can do anything I want and don’t give up this dream. I’ve worked so hard to get here and I love what I do.”
Bringing that mindset and attitude to her menu highlights what makes Nanny’s stand apart from other restaurants.
“I’m stuck in the past,” Smith said. “I love to cook old fashioned. I like to tweak and play with the food and twist things. The Gumbo, the Shrimp Étouffée. Soul food is my thing, cooking from scratch is my thing. A box is not for me, I’ll mess it up. But give me a pot and pan and some scraps and I’ll put it together for you.”
Showcasing that food style proudly for the city she grew up in, means everything to Smith.
“This is home to me,” she said. “This is where I grew up. This is where my foundation is, this is where my kids are. Being able to be part of the community is so much more bigger to me. I know there’s so much more out there for me, that’s why I’m back here to this trailer, leaving the buildings. I’m here now because this community is amazing to me. I’ve been through a lot, and when I tell you the community has lifted me, they are the reason why I’m still here. They are the reason why I’m still doing what I’m doing.”
Nanny’s doesn’t have a set schedule yet with the winter weather seen in the capital city, but you can keep updated with their hours and location by following Nanny’s Food For The Soul on Facebook.