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

Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I think the main difference between business owners and dreamers is the confidence to believe in your dreams and begin to put them into practice. It’s easy to dream up all types of ideas for businesses – the tough thing about it is to actually trust yourself, your ideas, skills & abilities to begin the work of bringing ideas to fruition. Truthfully, without belief in myself, and confidence in my ideas and ability to bring them to fruition, all the money or investors in the world could not have made my business successful. In order to launch the current main function of my business (the bar & grille at the St. John’s Golf Club) I had to take the time necessary to research the opportunity, through all available avenues of information and via experts. I spent weeks if not months reviewing and completing the necessary applications and licensure information – as all dreams are grounded by regulation and the filing of information. All the boring but necessary work of budgeting, planning out inventory & spending through the upcoming year, and ensuring that the business could handle the expansion was essential to ensuring that we reached the successful day-to-day operation of our current situation. Asking myself and my partner the tough questions about all of the aspects of the business was essential to understanding how we could avoid pitfalls going forward.

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

Late Risers Bar & Grille and Food Truck is operated by Chef Owner Elizabeth Simms and General Manager David Rieser. They founded Late Risers Food Truck in 2018 and went on to open Late Risers Bar & Grille in 2020. They are fiercely passionate about local, seasonal cuisine and supporting other local, small businesses. You can find them seven days a week in the beautiful surrounds of the newly remodeled course and clubhouse at St. John’s Golf Club, or enjoy their elevated service and cuisine at memorable and delicious events throughout the St. Augustine area. They were voted as one of the Top Three Caterers in St. Augustine by the St. Augustine Record in 2023.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Unbeknownst to any of us, our application to become the concessionaire at the county golf course was submitted just a few days before Covid-19 began in March 2020. Our application was accepted and contract signed in June 2020, and we opened our doors in August 2020 – having lost nearly 75% of our revenue for the year due to the pandemic. We were personally working hourly jobs on the side in order to make ends meet, and opened our doors while the majority of our community was still wearing masks, socially distancing, and generally trying to manage life in a pandemic world. While we watched many food truck and other small businesses fail during this time, we pushed through, budgeted appropriately, worked as owner-operators for every hour the business was open – and found our way through to success.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

We funded our business personally, with our own savings and a personal loan from family members.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laterisersfoodtruck.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/laterisers
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/laterisersbarandgrille