We recently connected with Chef Tj and have shared our conversation below.
Chef , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I think success requires a few key things, but it ultimately depends on how you measure it. I believe everyone’s idea of success is different, but for me, it comes from failure and how you overcome those obstacles. Being able to stay in business over the years is my greatest measure of success—especially since most food businesses fail within the first two years. Just continuing to do this and growing over the last seven years is definitely one of my biggest accomplishments.
Chef , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Born and raised in Alief, located in the southwest side of Houston, TX, I came from humble beginnings. My mom worked two jobs to provide for us, so we had to learn to cook and feed ourselves early. Because of that, I was always at home experimenting with food from a young age.
As I got older and moved into my first place, I really only had two options: eat fast food every day or learn to feed myself. Eventually, I started cooking quick, simple dishes for family and friends—and one day, it got so popular that people began reaching out to purchase them. That’s pretty much how it started. Word of mouth turned into me taking it seriously, and before I knew it, demand grew so much that I had no choice but to start a business.
Originally, I sold plates out of my house, which then led to pop-ups. Later, I developed an app, offered delivery and pickup services, and even published a cookbook for people who wanted to try my viral recipes—recipes that have been viewed over 60 million times.
I believe I bridge the gap for my customers, helping them turn the stress of cooking into simply enjoying the moment. I may have started by selling plates, but now we’ve become a full-fledged catering company. From birthday parties to weddings, I’ve done them all.
What sets me apart is my creativity and ideas. I don’t follow people or trends—I tend to set them. What I’d like people to know most is that we take pride in our work, and integrity always comes first. I built this brand to stand apart, but it seems everyone is trying to ride my wave.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I’d say I built my social media audience just by being consistent and creative. I don’t think people realize how far being creative will get you, really you gotta think outside the box and be willing to try new things without compromising yourself.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I think as I began to get more popular I had a lot of people try to copy my dishes exactly and even try to take my business name. It gets exhausting some days but you can’t let anyone take what you built or try to discredit your work. This is something I started to help my community and give back to my family, I wanted to be able to give my people jobs so ima always keep pushing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thefoodplughtx-1befc.web.app
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoodplughtx?igsh=MW50eDhmcms2dWVlMQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ChefToutTheH
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@texassteppin?_t=ZP-8wDDoYgU06x&_r=1 (TikTok)
