Whenever there was a holiday dinner or other occasion that called for macaroni and cheese on the table, friends and family would ask Alia Edwards to make the comfort food.

She knew they loved her Southern-style mac and cheese. But would other people be willing to buy it? In 2022, Edwards branded her signature dish, MacAttack, and started selling it at high school football games with toppings such as chives and bacon pieces.

“The response became a little overwhelming,” Edwards said.

Customers kept asking her if they could buy MacAttack at a restaurant or store. It gave her an idea. Months later, she started producing a 12-ounce version of the mac and cheese that was sold refrigerated in area stores.

The business has steadily grown. MacAttack is sold at nearly 20 grocery stores and other locations in Cuyahoga and Summit counties. She and husband and business partner, Jerrell Edwards, still sell the mac and cheese from a food truck at ball games, festivals and other events. They also have customers who request large pans of MacAttack for catering or cafeterias.

“I’m the brains, he’s the muscle,” she said. “He does all the heavy lifting – literally. I told him what I wanted to do and he said, ‘It sounds like a good idea.’ He has supported me and backed me up ever since.”

Taking customer feedback seriously has been key to MacAttack’s growth. When the Fairfax Market asked Edwards to package the mac and cheese in 6-ounce containers that the store would heat and then sell with to-go fried chicken pieces and rotisserie chicken, she said yes. The smaller size has sold. Edwards is one of the Fairfax Market vendors Signal Cleveland is highlighting as part of our coverage of the market’s program mentoring local entrepreneurs and selling their products.

“God has had us on the expedited express train,” she said of MacAttack’s growth. “Everything is happening pretty quickly.”

MacAttack is a side hustle but the business is growing fast

MacAttack is currently a side hustle for Edwards. Most days, she leaves her full-time job and then goes to work at her business.

“I’m still a mom and I’m still a wife – so, I’m wearing a lot of hats,” she said. “You just have to try not to compromise that work-life balance with what is going on at work, the kitchen and being a wife and mother.”

She loves being a small business owner, though she says it carries responsibilities.

“When you’re an entrepreneur, you have a boss because when demand calls you don’t get the chance to say, ‘I don’t want to work today.’ Your customers are still looking for your product.”

Fairfax Market

Economics Reporter (she/her)
Economics is often thought of as a lofty topic, but it shouldn’t be. My goal is to offer a street-level view of economics. My focus is on how the economy affects the lives of Greater Clevelanders. My areas of coverage include jobs, housing, entrepreneurship, unions, wealth inequality and pocketbook issues such as inflation.