

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelique’-Olivia J. Taylor.
Hi Angelique’-Olivia J., it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a New Orleans Louisiana native. I relocated to the mid-west state of Kansas after hurricane Katrinia in 2005. My father Harold W. Garner Sr. was a resident here in Topeka and working at the local VA Medical Center. During my 16 years of service, I have shared these traditional praline candies as gifts with veterans and co-workers at the Topeka VAMC during my tenure.
Family and co-workers have encouraged me through the years to start a candy business. Therefore, the simple idea of going into business manifested over the years and came to fruition in early 2021, after I retired from the VAMC to supplement my VA pension income.
From there, the Topeka community welcomed the new gourmet cultural of taste experience of my hometown of New Orleans.
I joined the Downtown Topeka Farmer’s Market in 2021 to present as a vendor and have expanded my praline business throughout Kansas from Topeka, Manhattan, Abilene, Wichita and Overland Park, Kansas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Growing my business definitely has not been a smooth road. There were many roadblocks. When I retired, I utilized $14,000 of my own Retirment funds to establish the business and pay for licenses and equipment. When funding was out, I reached out to different banks and although I had a credit score of 780, no bank approved a loan for me because I did not have collateral.
I still owed a balance on my home and had recently purchased a new vehicle.
I reached out to different organizations that stated they offer small business grants and or loans. I soon realized that they too, expected collateral and did not assist.
Some grants that were available were for businesses that were brick and mortar or food truck business grants. And my business was neither. My equipment at this time does not consits of industrial kitchen cooking or baking machinery.
At present, I utilize traditional pots and pans that would not be eligible for funding programs. My business is run from my home certified kitchen.
Therefore, funding has and still is an issue for me. I have utilized my credit cards to replenish ingredients to re-stock Hy-Vee locations and other locations that shelf my products. Hy-Vee is my biggest client, and their payment system takes 2-3 months before I receivea paper check in the mail. They do not pay electronically, and payments can be infrequent based on how much products sell.
Therefore, I must restock to maintain freshness by using my credit card, which increases my debt.
I have recently accepted a part-time job to offset credit card debt, to further assist my business.
Just this week, I decided to discontinue product at the Liberty, MO Hy-Vee store because the sales were not coming in as I would have liked. Despite my marketing techniques, sales just were not increasing. Products are still available at the Topeka and Overland Park, Kanas Hy-Vee stores.
Other locations sales are decent. The local Stormont Vail Hospital gift shop in Topeka, and Wilkens Acres in Abilene sales are regular.
During the winter months in the midst of the farmers market off season. Sells are also limited. I do have a website in place to ship anywhere in the USA. However, I do not receive much purchasing activity. I have since included commercials and other information, which has now increased visits to my site. I am looking forward to better activity this off season during the winter of increased sells.
Recently, Greater Topeka Partnership granted me a one time $4,000 Economic Mobility Grant in May 2025, for marketing. I have been informed that this isn’t a grant that I can apply for annually. However, this grant has allowed me to create a timeless mini movie advertisement. Readers can find the advertisement video posted on my business website: aonolapralinecandy.com and on my YouTube channel under AO NOLA PRALINE CANDY (AO NOLA FLIGHT, part 1 & 2). In addition, the funding allowed me to purchase commercial airtime on KSNT and their partner networks as well.
I am most grateful to have received the grant funding this year. This has been the only grant my business have received since establishedin 2021. Introducing my family traditional New Orleans products via commercial advertisements. Have educated communities to understand what each product is about and the partnerships I have formed in local and surrounding communities.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My business specializes in traditional New Orleans, Louisiana pecan praline candies. Which are a creamy fudge like texture or can be referred to as a no bake cookie type. But it is indeed a candy. What sets my business apart is, that the recipe I use is a family receipt from Haiti, that my aunt Sandra J. Victor passed down to my cousin Sonya and me. Sonya and I are the only family members that make this candy.
Aunt Sandra passed in March of 2020 of COVID. Finding her dying of COVID took a lot out of me emotionally and mentally. At first, making pralines after auntie passed was just something therapeutic, I did to feel closer to her and to share good taste and smiles with others to help me coup, with her lost.
Then, a passion ignited in me to go into business as she suggested I do for years prior to her passing.
Since going into business in 2021, I have since expanded my menu to several flavors. AO NOLA PRALINE CANDY LLC pralines are gluten free and have 4 lactose-free vegan flavors. This year in March 2025, I have also introduced 3 alcohol infused flavored pralines, that will get you lit!
I pride myself with creating a product that everyone in the family can enjoy, no matter their taste. With a bacon praline flavor that does not contain sugar or nuts for the furry baby of the family. That parents and their four-legged friend can enjoy together, without parents feeling guilty of a sugar rush to their pet.
In addition, as a member of From the Land of Kansas, Greater Topeka Partnership and Omni Circle Group. I have gained effective business knowledge of entrepreneurship and with great resilience continue to move forward despite whatever obstacles come what may!
Because, I love what I do and the people in my community that also, love what I do.
What makes you happy?
It makes me happy to meet customers who share their New Orlenas experience from prior visits or they may share that New Orleans is on their bucket list to visit. Witnessing their face when they taste my pralines is a great pleasure to witness.
Some have experienced pralines while in New Orleans and many have stated that my pralines are the best they have had. Especially the alcohol infused pralines.
Customers have followed up and stated they really did not think they would feel the effects of the alcohol from the praline, but how wrong they were and now they are spreading the word to others.
The Bourbon Street Special 3 pack of bite sized, or large sized pralines are made with 3 different alcohols. Each praline is a different flavor. It’s named after the infamous street in New Orleans downtown French Quarters, that welcome visitors from all over the world. To party and experience New Orleans.
These pralines will remind you of drinking while walking down Bourbon Street. Just in a consumable experience, walking while eating. LOL
They are designed to eat 1 or 2 bite sized candies and save the 3rd for later aka the now and later package. The large sized is designed to eat half of each praline, however, some customers have eaten the whole candy at once and really had fun experiences following their consumption.
I enjoy the follow-up stories customers share with me as they return to purchase more and bring friends to purchase some as well.
The true experience of my business motto
“AO’s tasty pralines. Bringing the south to your mouth!”
Pricing:
- Traditional varying flavors of pralines are $4-$4.99 each to include (Creamy, Pecan Praline, Praline Picante [spicy], Deluxe-aka-PMS, Coconut Pecan Praline, Bacon Praline Treats and all lactose free flavors.
- The Bourbon Street Special (Alcohol Infused) Pralines bite sized 3 pack are $9 and large sized 3 pack is $16
- Large Bacon Treat (Bone or Paw) $10-$11.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aonolapralinecandy.com
- Instagram: @aonolapralinecandy
- Facebook: @aonolapralinecandy
- Youtube: AO NOLA PRALINE CANDY