We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bridget Guttersohn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bridget below.

Bridget, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

What started as an idea quickly became a journey filled with learning, hard work, and determination.

Before Yum City could serve its first customer, there were countless steps behind the scenes. I studied for and passed my Manager’s Food Safety (ServSafe) certification, worked closely with the health department to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), secured permits, and navigated all the requirements necessary to operate a mobile food business.

I researched and purchased a point-of-sale system to manage revenue and transactions, invested in commercial kitchen equipment, and learned the ins and outs of food trailer requirements. From electrical wiring and plumbing to ensuring the hot water system met health department standards, every detail mattered.

The trailer itself became a labor of love. The beautiful vinyl graphics were created by my friend Hannah at Third Coast in Newaygo, and Myles Cronk applied it perfectly. I learned how to source inventory through Gordon Food Service and Sam’s Club, manage food costs, and keep supplies stocked for events.

At home, my husband built a pole barn specifically to house the food trailer, giving Yum City a place to call home when it’s not on the road.

Then came another challenge: towing. Learning how to safely hook up the trailer, pull it to events, and yes—still working on backing it up!—has been an adventure all its own.

While there has certainly been a learning curve every step of the way, every challenge has been worth it.

My favorite part of this journey isn’t the trailer, the equipment, or even the food. It’s serving our community, meeting new people, reconnecting with former students and colleagues, and creating experiences that bring people together.

Yum City is more than a food trailer—it’s the result of a dream, a lot of hard work, incredible support from family and friends, and a passion for serving others.

Thank you—and your support means the world to us. Every visit, kind word, and shared meal helps make this dream a reality.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Bridget Guttersohn, and I’m the owner of Yum City, a mobile food trailer dedicated to serving delicious food while creating connections within our community. Before launching Yum City, I spent many years working in education, where I developed a passion for serving others, building relationships, and creating positive experiences. Those same values are at the heart of everything we do today.

Yum City was created from my desire to combine my love of food, community, and customer service into something that could bring people together. We specialize in serving crowd favorites at festivals, community events, school functions, private parties, and other gatherings. While great food is important, our goal goes beyond simply feeding people—we want every customer to leave with a smile and a positive experience.

What sets Yum City apart is the personal touch behind the business. We’re not a large franchise or corporate operation. We’re a locally owned, family-supported business that genuinely values every customer who walks up to our window. We take pride in offering friendly service, quality food, and being present at events that help strengthen our local communities.

One of the things I’m most proud of is building Yum City from the ground up and seeing how warmly it has been received. It’s incredibly rewarding to meet new people, reconnect with former students, colleagues, and friends, and become part of celebrations and events that create lasting memories. Every event reminds me why I started this journey in the first place.

The most important thing I want people to know about Yum City is that we’re built on relationships. We appreciate every customer, every event organizer, and every opportunity to serve. When people support Yum City, they’re supporting a small local business that is passionate about great food, outstanding service, and giving back to the community that has supported us from day one.

At the end of the day, Yum City is about more than food—it’s about bringing people together, creating connections, and serving our community one meal at a time.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

One of my favorite marketing stories actually happened before many people even knew who Yum City was.

When you launch a new food trailer, you’re competing against businesses that have been around for years. They have loyal customers, established reputations, and people know exactly what to expect. As a newcomer, I knew I had to take a chance and put myself out there.

One of the biggest risks I took was committing to larger community events early on. There are costs involved, long hours of preparation, purchasing inventory, and no guarantee that customers will choose your trailer over the many other options available.

The days leading up to the event were filled with excitement and nerves. I checked inventory repeatedly, prepared food, organized supplies, and made sure every detail was ready. When the event finally arrived, I remember looking around at all the people and thinking, “Here we go.”

What happened next was incredibly rewarding. People started lining up, asking questions about Yum City, trying our food, and telling their friends about us. Many customers returned later in the day or sought us out at future events. By the end of the event, I wasn’t just excited about the sales—we had built relationships and introduced our business to an entire community of people who hadn’t known us before.

That experience taught me an important lesson: sometimes the biggest marketing tool isn’t a fancy advertising campaign. It’s showing up, delivering a quality product, treating people well, and creating an experience they want to share with others.

Looking back, what felt like a risk at the time became one of the most rewarding moments in building Yum City. It gave me confidence that there was a place for us in the community and reinforced that word-of-mouth marketing and genuine customer connections are still some of the most powerful tools a small business can have.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

In April of 2021, I lost both my mom and my stepfather. Losing either one would have been difficult, but losing both of them so close together changed my life in ways I never expected.

Food was always a part of who they were. My mom was creative in the kitchen and had a talent for coming up with recipes that people remembered. One of those recipes was Linda’s Famous Chicken Wrap, which she created when we worked together at the halfway house, Tully’s, at Tullymore Golf Course. It quickly became a customer favorite and was one of those menu items people would come back for again and again.

My stepfather, JJ, was the same way when it came to food. He always had a hand in the kitchen and wasn’t afraid to experiment or try something new. He enjoyed the process, the creativity, and bringing people together around a meal with so much enthusiasm!

For a long time after they passed, I think part of me believed those memories belonged to the past. But over time, I realized that carrying forward what they loved wasn’t holding on—it was honoring them.

Today, when I serve Linda’s Famous Chicken Wrap through Yum City, it’s more than just a menu item. It’s a connection to my mom. It’s a reminder of the time we spent working together and the joy she found in creating something people loved. And every time I try a new idea or take a chance on something different, I think about JJ and his willingness to jump in and see what was possible.

The lesson I had to unlearn was that moving forward means leaving things behind. I’ve learned that some of the most important parts of the people we love can continue to live on through our work, our traditions, and the things we share with others.

Every time someone orders that wrap, they’re getting a great meal. But for me, it’s also a way of keeping my mom’s legacy alive and honoring both her and JJ. That’s something I’ll always be proud of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://YUMCITY.INFO
• Instagram: https://INSTAGRAM.COM/YUM-CITY-8
• Facebook: FACEBBK.COM/YUMCITY8