What do you get when you mix a passion for baking and helping others? A sweet
legacy, and that’s exactly what Renita Johnson is in the process of creating. Johnson, the owner of the PanCake Bakery, has transformed a childhood hobby into a successful business while helping others define their purpose in life through a non-profit ministry.
Johnson reveals her love for baking started at nine-years-old. She says she began experimenting with baking, often scribbling down recipes and learning through trial and error.
“I was nine years old, tearing up my mother’s kitchen, using her flour…she would allow me to get in there and tear up some stuff and make some cakes. Sometimes they would fall, sometimes they would be great” Johnson says.
While Johnson’s mother wasn’t much of a baker, she supported her curiosity and allowed her to explore, even on a tight household budget.
As she grew older, so did her love for baking, but it never could compete with her other deep-rooted passion for helping others. The career path she initially pursued included becoming a nurse as well as a hairdresser. This way, Johnson says she was always able to keep people at the center of her work.
She tells us she “was always a helpful kind of little girl. And so, as a woman, that’s still my journey.”
This commitment to serving others would later become the foundation for her non-profit, SKIRTS Ministry. Johnson explains the organizations mission is to help women who have experienced trauma. She also reveals that the inspiration behind this comes from her own personal experience of abuse and hardship.
Just as Johnson faced challenges within her personal life, she also dealt with them as an entrepreneur. One of the biggest was the pandemic, which led to the closure of many businesses in the area, including Café Le Mont. The restaurant was run by Johnson’s husband, who was also considering retirement at the time. This Johnson says was a segway into starting her dream bakery and so she did just that.
“I baked at home…I sold cakes…People picked up cakes” Johnson says. We masked up, people dropped off packages of cakes and whatever.”
A few years later, the PanCake Bakery is more than a business—it’s a platform pouring back into the community. Johnson says 10% of her daily sales go towards the SKIRTS Ministry. In addition to helping woman, the organization also runs baking classes for children in the summer and hosts family outreach programs during the holidays.
“Because I love what I do, I don’t work” Johnson says. “I’ve never worked a day in my life when it comes to baking.”
The bakery is not just a reflection of Johnsons culinary skills but also of her resilience. Overcoming personal hardships, including experiences of abuse, has given her a unique outlook on life.
“You can either get bitter or better,” she says.
February is Black History Month and being a black business owner during this time holds special significance. For Johnson, it’s not about how much money you can make, she says it’s about the impact of your service.
Despite the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, Johnson remains rooted in faith, service, and the joy of baking. Her journey shows that even the toughest experiences can be transformed into something sweet-but it must be a part of your purpose.
“If you never grab hold of your why, you miss out on the life you were created for.”
The PanCake Bakery is just one of the many businesses in Chattanooga, TN that will be at the Black Owned Business Expo at Hamilton Place Mall. The event is set to take place on February 22nd, 2025, and will start at 10AM.
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