On May 3rd, the Brunswick County Department of Economic Development along with the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Benchmark Bank, and First Citizens Bank hosted the “Fueling Your Food Truck” event at the Brunswick County Conference Center. This was a day-long event that aimed to teach and assist current and potential food truck owners regarding all topics related to such an endeavor. Representatives from First Citizens Bank, Benchmark Bank, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, The Southside Planning District Commission, The Longwood Small Business Development Center, the Brunswick County Building & Planning office, and the Metropolitan Business League were on hand to share their knowledge regarding finance, business plans, regulations and requirements and best practices with attendees.
Chef Tye Hall was the special guest speaker. A native of Philadelphia, Chef Tye now lives in Richmond and works as a personal chef and the owner of Hook’s Lunch Box food truck with her husband Reggie. Chef Tye has a recurring program on Taste on TV called, “From the Bottom of the Pot.” Chef Tye also appeared on the Food Network show “Supermarket Stakeout.” She shared with guests the good, the bad, and the ugly of owning a food truck while also delivering an encouraging message that hard work and persistence contribute to the success of any venture. Chef Tye shared that she recently had an accident where she broke her leg in three places and has had to change the way that she does things. She shared that sometimes circumstances beyond our control force us to pivot and this change in direction can change our lives.
Mrs. Alfreda Jarrett Reynolds shared, “Food trucks have become so popular in our current culture. They are mobile and the financial overhead for a food truck is much less than a brick-and-mortar restaurant. I see a huge potential here in Brunswick County for food truck businesses. This event is really just the beginning of a series of events that we have planned to equip our citizens with all of the knowledge that they need to start and maintain a successful food truck business. I would like to give a huge thanks to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Benchmark Bank, and First Citizens Bank for partnering with us to host this event. Community partnerships are vital to the long-term success of any initiative. I would like to offer special thanks to Chef Tye who was willing to attend and assist us with this event in spite of her recent injury.” Sandra Tanner, shared, “The Food Truck Workshop was a success! The turnout of entrepreneurs was phenomenal and the information shared was the first step for developing a pipeline of not only food trucks but could lead to restaurants opening in the downtown area. I look forward to working with the county and entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses for Brunswick County.”
A large crowd attended the event and much positive feedback was received. Lunch was sponsored by Benchmark and First Citizens Banks and was provided by Chef Tye’s own Hook’s Lunch Box food truck.
To see photos of the event, click HERE
Are you interested in starting your own food truck business? If so, we want to help! Please contact our office at 434-848-8200 or [email protected].