Mama Kim's Boiled Peanuts, 'Bringin' a taste of the south to your mouth'

A Stanley family is rolling around Gaston County, “Bringin’ the taste of the south to your mouth,” according to their mantra.

Kimberly Usery-Pettis recently started Mama Kim’s Boiled Peanuts, and she hopes to uplift local and regional businesses along with her own.

“It brings back the nostalgia of being a kid,” Usery-Pettis said.

Growing up in South Carolina and Georgia, Usery-Pettis would frequently drive by peanut stands with her grandfather.

“It didn’t matter how far out we were or if we already had a half pound of peanuts, we were stopping for more peanuts,” she said.

In her adult life, Usery-Pettis has been in the food and beverage industry for 24 years, and typically works as the general manager of Taco Bell in Belmont.

A few weeks ago, however, Usery-Pettis tore the tendon in the bottom of her foot, and found herself out of work for the time being.

She took this opportunity to create her boiled peanut business.

Usery-Pettis has always been called Mama Kim at the restaurants she’s worked in, which is where she got the name for her stand, she said.

Usery-Pettis has four children ranging in age from eight to 15-years-old.

“I get to spend the day with my babies and sell peanuts,” Usery-Pettis told a customer at her stand. “It keeps a smile on my face... They love it, they get to eat peanuts all day.”

This small peanut business is helping keep food on a local table, and Usery-Pettis wants to make sure her business helps other local families with small businesses, she said.

All of the supplies used to create Mama Kim’s Boiled peanuts come from local and regional sources, according to Usery-Pettis.

The peanuts themselves come from a small, family-owned peanut distributor in South Carolina.

The spices for the variety of peanut flavors at the stand also come from a small South Carolina spice business.

Usery-Pettis often has several unique flavors of peanut available.

She has your classic salted and cajun boiled peanuts, but she also sells dill pickle, lemon pepper, ranch, and even brown sugar flavored boiled peanuts.

“The brown sugar tastes like syrup,” according to her daughter, Zariah Pettis.

Aside from peanuts, Mama Kim’s also sells chips, pickles, and pepsi products.

Usery-Pettis is also partnering with local vendors.

She recently had artwork by local artist Roxanne Walker Forney for sale at her stand.

Usery-Pettis takes cash, card, and even Venmo or Cash App.

“I want everybody who stops to be able to get something,” she said.

Usery-Pettis has plans for the business to engage the community, including raffles, fan-pick flavors, and more.

Mama Kim’s Boiled Peanuts is set up at different locations in the county on any given day.

To keep up with where she will be set up, customers can find the business on Facebook or Instagram.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Mama Kim's Boiled Peanuts rolls around Gaston County