We recently connected with Eleni (Helen) Markatos-Carter and have shared our conversation below.

Eleni (Helen) , appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Taste. Just like you “taste” your food. All you need is just one “taste” to get your “taste” buds going. I love a wide variety of food, I didn’t want to be tide down to just one cuisine by putting that in my business name. If you stop by my food truck you have the pleasure to experience award nominated Smash Burgers, 1st place award winning White Chicken Chili, Jerk Chicken Tacos, a one of a kind BBQ Beef Short Rib Melt on Coco Bread and my infamous Banana Pudding which gave me the nickname “Your Fave Red-Head Pudding Lady”. I love watching people “taste” my food. Seeing them take that first bite and the smile it brings to their face, or look up at someone they may be dining with and nod like oh yea this is it!

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

My name is Eleni (Helen) owner/operator of Taste Food Truck based out of Baltimore, MD by the Ravens Stadium and Orioles Park. During Covid, I had the opportunity to work from home handling fraud portfolios at my corporate america banking career. I realized at that time I was miserable and my 20 year journey with the bank had run its course. They treated me well but it was time to go and pursue my passion which is food and my family. I took early retirement from the bank and purchased a food truck. Fear and doubt kicked in and I let the food truck sit for months. Then I was like I better get on there and start making some money. Went through all the research and legal steps of getting the truck on the road. I have been in business for almost a year and a half. I have met so many people, whom have become my regulars or more like friends and family. I have build relationships with local businesses. Known by local food bloggers that have come and should some genuine interest I think Should needs to be showed. Nominated for multiple awards and won 1st place. I couldn’t have had such a successful first year without the support from my husband Domonic. He believed in me and my talent more than I did. Introducing to successful restaurant owners and business people. I watch him build a successful tattoo shop Ripp’d Canvas, as well as a printing business and a barbershop and landlord to residential tenants. He is an amazing businessman, the hardest working man I know, and the way he comes up with ideas and they turn to gold is inspiring. Shoot, inspired me to become an entrepreneur. But I didn’t believe him when he said it’s a lot of work. Lol. And I cant forget about our son Leonidas. The best hype man there is. Mom and dad’s number one supporter. He comes out to festivals and brags about my smash burgers and pudding. That boy can eat that every day if he could, shoot he probably has lol.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started DMing food bloggers from all around asking them to come out and try my food. The food spoke for itself and we built a great rapport and they posted their experiences of my food and me on the social media and little within a day or two got over 2000 new followers on social media. I had people from all over Baltimore come try my food and even people from out of state like Delaware.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Within the first few months of opening my food truck a few things happened that may have had me questioned if it was truly for me. Snow storm froze my food truck door lock, had to go to find an RV store open and that had the specific lock needed and change the lock causing me to cancel my first day at a new location. My generator dying on me in the middle of cooking service on a rainy day, causing me to cook food and customer service my customers were used to. But you know what made it all happen and got me through it? My right hand man, my best friend and life long partner, my husband. He’s there to give me words of encouragement and to tell me sh@t happens and you have to pivot with it. He has been in the rain changing oil to my generator while I’m inside the truck trying to keep my sh@t together lol. He’s more level headed than I am and he is valued but don’t ask him to help cook anything on the truck. He doesn’t have the cooking gene, that’s all me! Lol

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taste410.com
• Instagram: @taste.410
• Facebook: taste.
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0PeoxfJG6f/?igsh=MW8yZG5scGljaWRocw==

Image Credits
Self, husband, and son