Daughters Of Zion CNPP Grantee Announces Linda Jammerson – LICK THE BONE As The DOZ CNPP Entrepreneur Of The Week- February 13- February 19, 2022

By: Nancy Osman

Linda Jammerson

LICK THE BONE

Food Truck

901-589-0513

Years In Business: 3

Number of Employees: 5

Elevator Pitch “ When the meat  is gone, you will want to lick the bones “ 

As part of our follow-up to the progress the Daughters of Zion CNPP grantee is making within Memphis, Shelby County, and beyond- we are highlighting their weekly Entrepreneur of the Week award. When asked why Linda Jammerson was selected as the entrepreneur of the week, Dr. Gerald Kiner, PhD declared, “ She’s the best. Lick The Bones is one of the most dominant BBQ businesses not just in Memphis, but anywhere. Think of Micheal Jordan breaking into the NBA- they are doing that in Memphis. And the amazing thing is, I never heard of Lick The Bones until they became a part of the DOZ CNPP. From Day 1 Linda and her husband made their presence felt by cooking for and donating their  BBQ to over 50 DOZ CNPP small business clients the first day she ever attended the Saturday MasterClass. When we had the Kroger store shooting deaths, Lick the Bones cooked for over 300 police and firefighters on site for free. They donate to the homeless any food they have leftover from their business day. They use their profits to pay off their debt to become a debt-free company. Lick The Bones is the epitome of the kind of business we want to highlight within our community. I mean, I asked her to make me a plant-based dish because it wasn’t on her menu and the next week she made me a plant-based Saulsberry steak that is now on her menu and she named the dish after me. I mean, no other BBQ place in Memphis does that. She and her husband are 100% customer-centric there is no doubt in my mind Lick The Bones is about to become a household name.”

Linda Jammerson answered 4 questions for the entrepreneur of the week.

Q: How did you get started in business and where did the name Lick the Bone come from?

A:  We’ve been doing the Southern Heritage Classic for 15 years, and we give away our food. Everything that’s on Lick the Bone’s truck is what we give away at the tailgate. And we do the tailgate every year, and we have well over 200 to 300 people that come through our tailgate. The news media came through, all the politicians came through. They come in and they knew about us. I said, “Well, honey, let’s just make this out of a business.” Then I said, “Well, you need to come up with a name.” He came back with a name I think about a week or so later, and he said, “Lick the Bone.” I said, “Oh, my God.” I said, “Lick the Bone.” I said, “That’s perfect.” And then I said, “Well, what’s going to be our slogan?” And he said, “When all the meat is gone they gonna want to lick the bone.” I said, “Oh, my Lord, that’s it.”

Q: How has the Daughters of Zion Community Navigator Pilot Program impacted you as an entrepreneur?

A: Oh my God. Well, when I heard about it they said that they were having this program at this church called Jesus People Church. And I was like… and grant writing, grants for a small business, to help with small business, I said, “Well, let me call this number.” So, I took the number down and I called and Ms. Wade she took my name and number down, and she told me where it was located and to come on out. And when I came out my mind was blown. I was like, Oh my God, this is what my business needs. This is what I need for Lick the Bone to be able to be more prosperous with our business. 

I mean, because it’s helping me. You know, when I came in, honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, on my first Saturday here, I did not know what to expect. 

I’ve heard about grant writing and all this for small businesses and all this before, but you know, it wasn’t to this magnitude.I mean, they are actually, step-by-step walking people through the process of how to get a grant for your business, to help you with your business to help your business grow. You know, it’s not just getting the money, it’s to help your business grow. You know, that’s how I look at it, it’s helping, this right here will help me to purchase another food truck. I have one, it’ll help me to buy another food truck. I think it’s awesome.

You know what else is so wonderful also about Dr. Kiner and this program?  They feature Entrepreneurs of the Week. They give them an opportunity to get their business out there for others to know about them. And they actually feature them for the week, the Entrepreneur for the week. Where do you get that at? I mean, where else can we go and get that other than this place right here?

Q: What is the vision for your business?

A: The vision for our business is that, when we started out in the business, we thought about our grandchild, my grandson, and he loves Lick the Bone, cause’ he works for Lick the Bone. And the vision is for him to take the business to another level. This is his inheritance from his grandparents.

Q: What would you say to other entrepreneurs about becoming a part of the Daughters of Zion Community Navigator Pilot Program?

A: I would tell them to get they butt on down here. Come on out here and get this information, because this information that Dr. Kiner is giving to us will help them with their business. Even if they don’t have a business, it will birth their business. I had four coworkers that came out here today. I told them about it at work, and they was telling me what they want to do, and I told them, “Just come on out here.” I gave them the address and I told them, I said, “I promise you, you all are going to get fed, and I promise you when you leave here you’re going to leave here with knowledge and you going to want to come back again and get some more,” that’s what I told them. 

I just thank Dr. Kiner so much, I really and truly do. He just don’t know. I’ve been talking about… his presence, his presentation, he’s giving the knowledge where people can just, a child can understand it, a baby can understand. And then, he’s telling them where they can go. And, oh, and then, he’s also saying the deadline, they making sure that we know that, hey, this ain’t going to be lasting long, you need to go ahead and take care of this now. And if you don’t have help and need some help, they will help you. I mean, you can’t get no better than that.