We recently connected with Emma G. Heikkila and have shared our conversation below.

Emma G., looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

There are so many reasons why my food is different among other food trucks. I make most of my food from scratch, I

grinded my own spices ,I make my own dough I rolled my own eggrolls .I enjoy doing all this. I seasoned smoked my meat for my

Tacos, Porketta. I am very concerned and aware of allergies around and that’s one of the biggest reason why I want to know

what are the things I have to my food rather than just guessing and put my costumers health in trouble.

I put so much labor of love to each one of my food that I serve to my costumers.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was born in the Philippines, and during the time when I was growing up I have so many dreams and one of those is to be rich one day so I can help my family, very special. at my young age to have that thought but I did.

I grew up at the convent. And my job is a cook helper. I learn a lot from that about cooking. I turn eighten and went abroad to chase my dreams. I worked at Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as nanny to a very rich family,my boss is a president. in Aramco Oil Company he have three wives and I was working to his third wife. One thing that I must learn first is to learn the language Arabic, tough.but as days goes by I am very determine to learn,next is cooking ,and I am very positive to do it and as i can see how much they appriciate my work everyday makes me wants more to learn.

I worked in that family about 12 years and I went back home and find another jod abroad again, Was hired in a diplomat company in one of the officer to be his Personal assistant, language translator. I love my job because we have to travel from country to other country ,learning to many thing from cultures to food to climate and everything.my dream to be rich is getting closer!

When I get married I have to resign to my job in diplomat company because that is one of the policy. My boss ask me what is my plan after I move to the U S and I said ,I will open my own Restuarant. And I promise you that I will introduce one or two of your Mideastern food,now that is the famous Shawarma that I am serving at my food truck. I never have a doubt when I thought to have that in my menu, I never thought. that i can have my own trailer so soon, my friend who own the Gronks Bar and grill at WI Superior help me to make my dream comes true. As you know, I was in so many places ,and everycountry that I went I have one food that I love.I am a Filipino so I have Lumpia Eggrolls, Empanadas,a mix of Mideastern Asian,Shawarma and Sambosa Arabic food, And thats how all this starded and i love and enjoy cooking and watching people how they enjoy savoring every bite they have from the labor of love I have for those bites.
I used to worke at St Lukes Hospital Duluth as one of the cook in the Kitchen ,I was asigned to work in the grill area everday and my skills improve more everyday .I meet many good people that become my good friends till this days.I dicided to quite my job at the Hospital and be fulltime to my food truck. Now before I forget I can not do all this without the help of my Fiance Phllip he give up his fulltime job too and work with me to our own time and scedule,everyday is a challenge ,new things to learn,i am very optimistic ,If you believe to yourself,make it happen,I am so grateful to my friends,Dianna and Mike Mhor who help me financially ,to my daughter and my friend Susie that always there when I needed her the most.I love to cook and serve to people and enjoy how they like my food.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I worked at St Lukes Hospital as one of the cooks, I lost my husband year of 2014 and my daughter moved here to the U S with me three months after I lost my husband .i need extra income to survive the life that i have to fight for everyday.

I decided to make cookies ,that’s my first side hustle. I sold it to the nurses ans staff at the hospital, after few months my cookies is not getting enough income supplement any longer .I decided to make Pies every Thanksgiving, Christmas and New year. Supply my Eggrolls to Gronk’s Restuarant till this day.

My costumers encourage me to open a Restuarant and sell my product everyday more and more people are telling me to run my own place and they will support me.

I make a move and I did ,and this is where i am now and I enjoy it everyday.

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

I moved here in the U S with no friends no family just myself and my husband is the only person I knew.He get sick three months after I was here,we have no health insurance ,he lost his health insurance because of me,so I needed to get a job to cover him because he is sick,and few months later after i have a job he passed away.I learn new things everyday ,

I have friends ,but they can just help some and I have to handle the rest on my own.my daughter is new here learnig new things as I am too.

The hardship in life that Id been through is the reason I learn and make me strong and make me who I am now.
I have so much faith in God.and I got throu all this because of trust and faith on Him.

Contact Info:

• Website: emmakitchen.com
• Facebook: Emma”s Global delights LLC And Emma”s Kitchen

Image Credits
Emma at the Food Truck Window, Phillip my Fiancé at the Radison Emma just enjoying the food