Alumni Creator:

Smalls Carrying on a Family Legacy

Antwan Smalls ’02

Business Administration major, computer science minor

Chef at My Three Sons, Cake Daddy, U.S. Army Reserve

Restaurant start at 13

I started working at Alice’s Fine Foods as a dishwasher at the age of 13. My mother was working for Ms. Alice when she got out of the U.S. Army and one day picking her up from work Ms. Alice asked her if I wanted to work. Ms. Alice had several restaurants throughout Charleston and North Charleston. Ms. Alice was very instrumental in my passion for cooking but more inspirational in her Love for people and community.

The birth of My Three Sons

My Three Sons was started by my mother (Lorraine) for me and my two brothers (Sedale and Courtenay). We have been featured in The Post and Courier, The Chronicle, Charleston Magazine, The Charleston City Paper, Travel and Leisure Magazine, Southern Living magazine, Taste the Nation (Hulu), Eater publication, local news stations, Charleston Food and Wine Festival, Black Restaurant Week, Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative, and collaboration with celebrity chef Marcus Samuelson just to name a few.

Carrying on Gullah Geechee Legacy

Charleston played a major role in the history of our country.  We at MTSOC take our role in preserving and promoting Southern Gullah Cuisine by showcasing the rich culinary traditions of the Gullah Geechee people. The traditions and recipes have been passed down from generations, and it’s truly up to us to carry on the legacy of those before us. Charleston has been recognized around the world as a place for good food and Southern hospitality. With so many food options here we pride ourselves on offering the best food made with Love and service with a smile.

Becoming the Cake Daddy

I am an avid lover of sweets. I didn’t bake my first cake from scratch until 2009. I always wanted to be a pitmaster because I love BBQ and would always get stuck on the grill for family functions. I made my first cake as a challenge and never looked back. Until I had kids all my cakes were considered my kids. It was only fitting to be called Cake Daddy. My love for baking and making sweet treats has grown beyond anything I could have imagined. Customers come in just for the sweet treats and might get a piece of chicken or something else. Ace’s Sweet Shop will be up and running soon. I have named my son, Ace, Cake Baby because he has become obsessed with baking cakes.

Serving in the Reserve

I am in the U.S. Army Reserve, and I just hit 16 years of total service. The flexibility that the Reserve offers if I have a conflict is unmatched. I will be pinning on Major soon and looking forward to continuing serving. Running a restaurant and being in the military has been truly rewarding. I am able to use my skill set interchangeably between the two. I think I have finally found the balance between the two. While I was mobilized to Kuwait I was able to contribute to the restaurant my entire time away. My staff has truly made balancing the two a smooth transition.

My inspiration

I enjoy traveling and running different races around the country. I have a two-year-old son, Ace Kanon Smalls, who has become my inspiration in all that I do. I am looking forward to the day where I have several products in stores and multiple locations. While at CSU I played football from 1997-2001 and am a founding member of Psi Delta Delta Chapter, founded in 2002, of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.