cbuzz: Shanika & Jomar Sheppard, Marlow’s Cheesesteaks and The Water Ice Shoppe, From Food Cart to Pivoting to Fast-Growing Brand
May 31st, 2026
How do you turn a bold idea into one of Columbus’s fastest-growing food brands?
In this episode of CBuzz, the Columbus Chamber’s podcast, we sit down with Shanika and Jomar Sheppard, co-founders of Marlow’s Cheesesteaks and The Water Ice Shoppe, to hear how they transformed a food cart into a thriving business rooted in authenticity, community, and Philly flavor.
From sold-out events and long lines to strategic growth across Columbus, the Shepherds share how they tested the market, built customer trust, and turned a leap of faith into a brand that people connect with far beyond the food.
This conversation explores what it takes to grow a business with heart — balancing vision, operations, family, and culture while staying true to the experience that made customers believe in Marlow’s from the start.
For entrepreneurs, operators, and leaders, this episode is a look at what real brand building looks like in action — and how consistency, authenticity, and community can fuel lasting growth.
Shanika & Jomar Sheppard | Marlow’s Cheesesteaks & The Water Ice Shoppe
Shanika and Jomar Sheppard are the Co-Founders of Marlow’s Cheesesteaks and The Water Ice Shoppe, bringing together decades of corporate, retail, and operational leadership experience to build one of Central Ohio’s growing food brands.
Shanika leverages more than 20 years of experience in merchandise planning, financial strategy, and team leadership with companies including Macy’s, Five Below, and Ascena Retail Group, while Jomar brings over 15 years of project management and operations expertise from the construction industry, where he led multimillion-dollar projects and large teams.
Together, they have combined their strengths in strategy, operations, and customer experience to grow their businesses while remaining deeply committed to community, faith, and entrepreneurship.
To learn more about Marlow’s Cheesesteaks, please visit https://marlowscheesesteaks.com/.
Tune in today as Mikaela Hunt sits down with Shanika and Jomar Sheppard from Marlow’s Cheesesteaks, on how they turned a bold idea into one of Columbus’s fastest-growing food brands?
A note about cbuzz production: We are thrilled to be recording episodes for our Central Ohio community. Stay tuned for new episodes, which will share the stories of some of our best and brightest Columbus Chamber members.
Cbuzz is the Columbus Chamber of Commerce’s business-focused podcast and was named Best Business Podcast in 2019 by the Columbus Podcast Awards. The show is produced in partnership with the Convergent Media Center at Capital University and its students, and the show is hosted by Mikaela Hunt, brand journalist and storyteller.
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