About The Dutch Oven
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you, lift up His countenance before you and give you peace.
Meet the Founders
Jeremy and Shantel Smith are the founders and sole owners of The Dutch Oven Mrs. Smith holds a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Arkansas in Education and leaves behind 7 years of experience managing the daily routines of a classroom teacher. Mr. Smith is a United States Army Veteran and now serves his community as a Registered Nurse. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a passion to serve others and bring overall health and wellness to families in the Central Arkansas area.
A Message from Founder/CEO of TDO Co. Shantel SmithI never wanted to own an "ordinary restaurant. Food should be beautiful, artistic, and should make a statement about your mood from day to day. Food shouldn't be "ordinary" and no matter which way you slice it, a lot of the food I'm guilty of purchasing and eating is just that... plain ole' ordinary. I've always seen myself as an artist, just as much as a chef per say. The perfect plate of food requires time and creativity, the perfect meld of textures, flavors, and temperatures. Many times, during my time as a working mother with a "nine to five" I settled for ordinary for two reasons: time and affordability. I can't tell you how many times I pulled my food from a sack and thought, "If this only looked as good as the picture that advertised it." However, in all actuality, it was fast and it was cheap and "beauty" per say, doesn't make the list. As The Dutch Oven Company has evolved, our mission remains the same, to meld fast and affordable with FRESH, COMFORT, and BEAUTY because we know that our customers eat with their eyes first, then the first bite, and the rest is history. Each of our menu items is hand crafted, right down to the sauces that dress them. Our vegetables are bright in color and vibrant in texture and our shop always smells of freshly baked bread because well, our bread is freshly made and then baked daily. As a company, we have found our "niche" and although we are still evolving, growing, and maturing, we pride ourselves in offering you food that is fast, fresh, affordable, and comfortably beautiful..
Being a writer and blogger, I enjoy writing about my personal day to day life as well as what is going on at my company. I recently wrote a blog post titled, "What's Your Superpower?" about moms. Being a mom to two little boys, who own every piece of my heart, often reminds me of my mortal status, my shortcomings, and failures. I have worked for as long as I have been able and motherhood is by far the most difficult title I have ever carried... a far cry more difficult than being a teacher for eight years, being a wife for eleven years, and now being a business owner. Being a mother tops them all. I cannot tell you how many times I have sat down in despair and wondered, "Where's my cape? I need a cape to accomplish everything I have to accomplish. It takes a super hero to do all those things." When I opened The Dutch Oven Company, "family" was at the forefront of my hopes and dreams for the company and I don't mean mine. YOUR family was at the forefront of my hopes. I have met many mothers. I was an elementary school teacher for YEARS. I met every size, shape, etc. of mother on the planet. And, where we are each very different, we all share the same common desires. We desire to nurture our children into adulthood, producing citizens that our community appreciates and human beings that we are proud to call ours. To do this, we strive to show them love and adoration in the ways that only mothers can. We take care of their emotional needs and teach them to adapt to new environments socially. We also know that a big part of our job is to not only nourish their little souls, but also their growing bodies. THIS is where I sometimes felt the need for my super hero cape! I was losing daylight by the time we all made it home from work and school and I felt like I was working part time as a short order cook, making chicken nuggets for this child and pb&j for that one (minus the pb which I think defeats the purpose but who wants to fight that battle without your cape on???). However, I knew then what I still know now and believe with my whole heart, families who eat together, who nourish their bodies with fresh and wholesome food, who find comfort around the dinner table, are healthier and happier from day to day. I had a dream. to bring families back around the dinner table, in my shop or in their own homes with fresh, beautiful, delicious food on every plate. Some of the families who come in my shop enjoy purchasing a casserole style dish to serve to their families. These are the meals I enjoyed as a child and these are the meals that were the centerpiece of many fun and important dinner table conversations for me as a child. Some of the families who come in my shop enjoy ordering from our fresh food menu. These are the meals that my kiddos enjoy around our dinner table now because we can each order our favorite things and every person in our family is "picky" in his or her own way. No matter which option moms choose, when they come in my shop, I am positive that they will leave with food that they can be proud to serve on their dinner table. The Dutch Oven Company makes it possible for moms, who so many times have to wonder how in the world they are possibly going to get it all done, to put those capes on!
The Dutch Oven
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The Dutch Oven Co.
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