Tamtama at the annual CEO Global Conference in Tampa, Florida. - Photo via @samantha.tamtama on Instagram.
In the age of the spicy chicken sandwich, Samantha Tamtama stands out with the heart and soul of Sammi’s Sandwiches.
Tamtama, a freshman entrepreneurship major at Rowan University, started her chicken sandwich and sauce business in her home in Mullica Hill when she was in high school. Born from a lifelong love of cooking, Tamtama started experimenting with hot and tangy flavors in the kitchen.
When she got to Rowan, Tamtama quickly bonded with her entrepreneurship professors who encouraged her to invest time and energy into Sammi’s Sandwiches. In the fall, she competed in the Idea Challenge, and then won first place of the New Venture Expo on April 18.
“It was a big learning opportunity and it was a big challenge for myself because I don’t like public speaking. I get stage fright, but I really pushed myself to get outside my comfort zone to take that challenge, and it paid off,” said Tamtama.
The next step for Sammi’s Sandwiches is to sell and bottle her homemade sauce, the not-so secret ingredient that makes her sandwiches so special.
“I like to describe it [the sauce] as a creamy hot sauce. It starts off sweet, tangy, bold, and then it gives you a little kick at the end,” said Tamtama.
The young entrepreneur uses a home pickup model to sell and deliver her product to customers. She shares the details of a pop-up sale on her Instagram, and then customers place orders through her website and schedule a time for pick up. This guarantees fresh, hot food.
One of her biggest inspirations is her mom, who instilled a love of cooking in her at a young age. One of her favorite dishes her mom makes is fried rice.
“I would help her in the kitchen and just being able to taste what she made was so nice,” said Tamtama.
With competitors like Chick fil A, Popeyes, and Raising Cane’s, Tamtama is entering a saturated, dominated market. She plans to set herself a part by finding the happy medium between homemade and fast food.
“I still want that fast convenience, but I want that homemade, warm feeling when you eat the food…I want the flavors to be deep and memorable,” said Tamtama.
Looking ahead to her future, Tamtama plans to pour herself into her studies and her business. She also hopes to create a nonprofit organization someday, using her success to help those in need. This stems from seeing her parents work so hard to provide for her.
“I want to utilize the prize money that I got towards the business and help other students. I think one of the things that made me who I am today is the people I surrounded myself with, the professors, the mentors, classmates,” said Tamtama.
From where she started in high school to what her business looks like now, Tamtama has increased her brand awareness and customer base. She has seen the Instagram page grow from 100 followers to over 500, and has been consistent with her social media marketing.
She advises other students to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way, because it may be the one that lands them exactly where they want to be.
“Think about that dream that you have and use that to keep pushing you forward,” said Tamtama.
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