For Gesenia Corea, cooking wasn’t just a hobby, it was a lifeline. Before Side Dish Queen became a catering and gourmet meal‑prep business, it began as an outlet during a difficult period in her administrative career. “Side Dish Queen started off me selling plates after work to various businesses in the area, mainly on the weekends, and I decided to leave my job because I was having so much anxiety,” she said. The return to the kitchen reminded her of where she felt most like herself. “I was going through a lot of moments at work, and I think it all kind of began because I was starting to get back into the kitchen.”
Trusting her passion, Corea stepped away from her job just weeks before the pandemic shut the world down. “I left my job literally four weeks before the pandemic started,” she said. “I said okay, this is my plan…I’m just gonna do this full time.” But when the shutdown made her original vision impossible, she refused to give up. “Here I am, I’m stuck, and I didn’t know exactly what to do. So I…pivoted. I started going on social media, letting people know this is what I do. I do meal plans…and that’s how I started.”
Her very first client stayed with her long enough to help her refine her craft. “I started with one client, one client that kept me consistent for a while, who gave me feedback — the good, the bad, everything — and I was just taking it in, learning from it.” Word spread, and her client list grew steadily. “It became more clients after that, and more clients and more clients, and I’m like, oh, okay, I have something here.”
Finding Support and Building a Business
As her business expanded, Corea knew she needed to learn the foundations of entrepreneurship. “I had to learn how to be an entrepreneur, a leader,” she said. “I was reaching out to different people that I knew, and they led me to the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC).”
Through LEDC’s Food Ventures program, Corea gained essential knowledge about business operations. “They literally broke everything down from beginning to end. I was able to get everything certified. I was able to get my business license and get more details of my finances. Learn how to read my numbers. Learn how to do purchase and how to break down my recipe.”
That training strengthened Side Dish Queen’s foundation. “From there, I just kept pivoting and pivoting and pivoting and learning, and that’s where I am now. I am a certified, insured, licensed caterer.”
Side Dish Queen stands apart for its bold, globally inspired flavor combinations. Corea sources premium ingredients and draws from her Salvadorean roots and DC’s multicultural food landscape. “My background is Latina, Salvadorian, but of course I was born and raised in DC, so it’s a big melting pot when it comes to food,” she said. “I’m able to incorporate my Latin side, Caribbean, Asian, and Mediterranean.”
She describes her gourmet meal preps as intentional and elevated. “I’m not just feeding you just a chicken and this and that. We take it to a whole different field where your food is getting locally sourced from farmers markets.” Flavor is her signature tool, but her side dishes are her superstar. “My side dishes always get…that is the star of every event.”
Seasonal dishes and desserts also play a memorable role in her business. “Everybody’s looking forward to what desserts I’m bringing, and bread pudding and my pies are always a winner.”
Care at the Heart of Her Cooking
Side Dish Queen’s origin story is personal. Corea developed her meal‑prep techniques while cooking for her mother, who has diabetes and high cholesterol. “We wanted to get back on track, and I wanted to introduce her to new foods,” she explained. The reactions her mother had — surprise, curiosity, joy — mirrored what Side Dish Queen clients experience. “That is exactly the reaction that every client has when they taste my food.”
Health and quality anchor her kitchen philosophy. “I only use avocado oil or olive oil…You’ll see premium ingredients because what you put in is basically what comes out.”
A Relationship‑Driven Business
For Corea, preparing food is personal, and so is the relationship with her clients. “I want to get to know the client first…I want to get to know the person,” she said. During her consultations, she learns each client’s food history and comfort zone. “What you eat consistently…what you’re open to try…what you absolutely don’t want to try.”
This approach has built a loyal customer base. “Until this day, I still have the same people coming back because they know — I know her,” she said.
Her services reach across the DMV and Baltimore. “I can actually come to your home and prepare them for the week,” she explained.
Side Dish Queen also reflects Corea’s commitment to community. She collaborates with nonprofits like Martha’s Table, helping families learn how to prepare dishes using the ingredients they receive. “I come in and put together a dish…so they can have a better idea of how to prepare them,” she said.
Holiday Gatherings Made Memorable
As the holiday season approaches, Side Dish Queen is helping make celebrations throughout the DMV even more memorable through personalized catering and chef-crafted menus. Whether serving family gatherings, corporate events, or festive community celebrations, Corea brings the same creativity and attention to detail that have defined her business since the beginning. Her signature side dishes, seasonal specialties, and homemade desserts have become crowd favorites, giving hosts a flavorful way to gather around the table without the stress of cooking. For Corea, holiday catering is about more than preparing food. It's about creating experiences that bring people together and leave a lasting impression long after the last plate is served.
A Vision for the Future
At the moment, Corea is working on a business plan to open a café featuring seasonal sandwiches, salads, drinks, and other fresh offerings. “I definitely have this whole chic brick and mortar in mind, so stay tuned,” she said. Reflecting on her journey, she knows the risk she took changed everything. “I didn’t know that I had it in me this whole time,” she said. “A lot of people are so afraid to do things, and it keeps them from really…the potential that they have. So I’m truly, truly grateful and happy that I took that risk.”