Southern Charm: Infusion Crab is All About Seafood, Passion and Family

What began as something Kimberly Knox started out of the back of her car is now a thriving restaurant, thanks in large part to the nudging of her two entrepreneurial daughters.

Knox, of Marietta, Georgia, said if it weren’t for the insistence of McKenzie, 14, and Madison, 12, she might not be where she is today, cooking up a host of Southern flavors for takeout, delivery and catering at her restaurant, Infusion Crab.

A self-taught chef who previously worked a 9-5 corporate job, Knox said the experience is a combination of sweet and sour. “Sweet because I get to spend time with my family everyday and show them that anything is possible. Sour because of the coaching and discipline to keep the business on track.”

In May of 2020, Knox was serving plates and pans of her popular home cooking, which friends and family would routinely request, including private house bookings and home deliveries. Word spread and her dishes became such a hit, specifically in the Southside and Marietta area, that she decided to move things to a larger scale: A 20-seat restaurant that she opened in September 2020, just months before the pandemic hit.

In large part, Knox was driven by her kids. “If my daughters believed we could do this I certainly wasn’t going to diminish their aspirations. So here we are now,” she said.

Starting a restaurant and building a customer base is challenge enough, but taking it on during COVID-19 taught Knox that she can persevere through any obstacle. It’s also been a powerful lesson for her daughters, who work at the restaurant three days a week and serve as general manager and assistant manager, all while still going to school. The three were often side by side in the early days of their opening, cooking meals and serving donations to countless non-profits.

Their specialties feature Southern seafood favorites, including everything from crawfish to hush puppies. Knox calls it “soulful seafood,” made with love and passion.The name of the eatery, in fact, is a nod to the infusion of seasonings that’s steeped with the women’s love for cooking and their passion for entrepreneurship.

So far, that love and inspiration has carried them far. Knox has plans to expand her seafood business with franchising opportunities and hopes to open a second Georgia location. As for the girls, they’re learning that with hard work and perseverance, you can do whatever you put your mind to.