Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Wiggins
Hi Leslie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We are foodies, travelers, lovers of history and most importantly passionate about sharing that with others! Flavors Food Tours was founded in 2009 by Atlanta native, Leslie Wiggins in San Juan, Puerto Rico and has expanded the Flavors Food Tours to St Thomas USVI and now her mother’s hometown of Savannah, Ga.
She grew up with all the foods and hospitality of the South and is excited to share that with locals and visitors to the hostess city. Savannah is such a special town and should be explored through its amazing cuisine, which tells its unique historic tale through each bite.
At Flavors we are passionate about connecting people with local food makers, creating bonds through breaking bread and making the fun nooks and crannies of Savannah your neighborhood, too. Come with us where we take pride in eating locally.
Eat Well, Be Inspired® is our motto, which we think everyone who loves to travel, explore and eat well can share and identify with.
We invite guests to come with us and say “I ate my way through Savannah” with Flavors Food Tours.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with life nothing is all rainbows or stormy skies, it is usually a combination of both which keeps it interesting! I would say the largest obstacle to a tourism company would be pandemics and weather – things not under our control. However, we have been operating 15 years despite Covid 19, Hurricanes Irma, Maria, Fiona as well as earthquakes (in Puerto Rico) and multiple tropical storms (such as Tropical Storm Ernesto just recently in our St Thomas and San Juan locations and Tropical Storm Debby affecting our Savannah location). The key is to just keep going.
As you know, we’re big fans of Flavors Food Tours. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I AM PROUD OF: Flavors Food Tours, our award-winning culinary tour company featured in USA Today, CNN, Travel + Leisure, Forbes and Frommers. We serve visitors and locals alike to Savannah; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, authentic regional cuisine and cocktails while sharing the history and culture of those areas with guests.
I’VE LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT: As a food tour company, we have to start with great food first. It can be easy to want to cover all the amazing historical and architectural features of Savannah in our three-hour tours, but as a food tour, the cuisine takes center stage.
THE SECRET TO GOOD BUSINESS IN SAVANNAH: As a food tour company owner, it’s knowing great and varied places to break bread. Flavors Food Tours guests taste cuisine ranging from “must-visit” family-owned eateries to newer establishments that have carved a name out for themselves due to their quality.
I’VE LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT: As a food tour company, we have to start with great food first. It can be easy to want to cover all the amazing historical and architectural features of Savannah in our three-hour tours, but as a food tour, the cuisine takes center stage.
MY TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Taste buds and people skills. People book a food tour to eat great representations of the local food and to get a sense of the city. My job is to, through eating and drinking, know where to take people. I am also tasked with learning the history and architecture of a city and successfully communicating that to others.
I AM THANKFUL FOR: Each valuable team member and what they bring to the table — literally — as well as my family, who supports me in all my wild foodie aspirations.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
As a company owner it can be “lonely at the top” and you have to rely on yourself. I found it invaluable to read Harvard Business Review’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself. Topics covered included:
Staying engaged throughout your 50+-year work life
Tapping into your deepest values
Soliciting candid feedback
Replenishing physical and mental energy
Balancing work, home, community, and self
Spreading positive energy throughout your organization
Rebounding from tough times
Decreasing distractibility and frenzy
Delegating and developing employees’ initiative
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flavorsfoodtours.com
- Instagram: @flavorsfoodtours.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flavorsfoodtours/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpVpEBqB4jnQ8MwimGGJeQ
