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

Alright, Jamaine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Would I be lying if I said 85% of life is taking risk, the other 15% is impulse? Right…LOL Nah that’s “Cap” as the young people say these days. The risk for me was going to culinary school “dead ass” haha. Long story short, I’d already tried culinary school in MA at Cambridge School Of Culinary Arts, learned a few things but didn’t workout well and wish I could remember folks names! Year’s later I gave it another shot and this time around I finished up strong “Let’s Go”… S/O Star Career Academy in my home city NYC “14th St 8th Ave”(MANHATTAN CAMPUS Address: 154 West 14th St., New York, NY 10011) Dope school. I was a little more mature this time around and I knew I was not going back to my old ways of life… I took it serious and never looked back, S/O Chef James Gillespie and Chef D., two chefs that I love. I still keep in contact with Chef Gillespie, we’re friends on FB. I can’t tell you much about celebrity chefs, I see exactly what you see on tv today. Back then Chef James & Chef D were the celebrity chefs to me, so I laugh when I see some of the tv anticks these days. Cooking is life, I’m in my element when I’m in any kitchen doesn’t matter the continent now that’s a risk!

Jamaine, 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?

I’m Jamaine Glover From Spanish Harlem “El Barrio” NYC. I lived in James Weldon Johnson Pj’s (Projects) at 112th-115h St Lex Ave in building 1829… I got into culinary before I knew it was culinary if that makes any sense LOL. I was always the food taste tester for my grandma. Everyone called her “Lilly” but she was just grandma to me with the best food ever and my personal chef LOL. I use to joke and say “Beware Of Flying House Slippers” when at grandma’s house. After culinary school I did my intern at Red Rooster Restaurant in Harlem. My mom was living down the block at the time (New Yorkers down the block means 10 blocks away) so it was perfect. I met Marcus Samuelsson owner of Red Rooster once or twice, cool dude with me and down to earth. Lets just say I was never at Red Rooster when he “spazzed” on anyone but like any other kitchen heard about it LOL. 20 Years of cooking, 10 with culinary experience behind me has me ahead of the game and yet I’m still playing catch up. I’ve seen a ton, learned from many but the best advice I have is find out who you are as a person. It will allow you to build a tough exterior no matter the career or life choice and the only person to blame at the end is you, succeed or fail. I’ll tell you like this, I’m never moving back to the projects! There’s more 2 life than the “concrete jungle” & I want more! No more no Less!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Harlem Chop is still very new in the food truck world, it’s the gift & the curse. I got MM(Money Maker) that’s my food trailers name LOL at the end of August/September last year. She’s one of a kind, best food trailer smoking & literally my mental vision. It’s not easy building a clientele in the food truck game especially with tons of great trucks as well as not so many great trucks out here. My strategies thus far has been prompting Harlem Chop by talking/speaking to people in the streets, I’m from the old school I pound the pavement & hit the block passing out flyers, menus, etc. I talk to people cause everything doesn’t have to be with a screen/computer. I also sign up and participate in local events and promote on social media sites. I would like to s/o 360FoodTruck and would like for everyone to checkout Kyle & his team on IG, FB or website www.360foodtruckga.com. Kyle has been like a mentor to me, helping me understand the ins & outs of the game and also giving me a few of his events slots which in turn is helping me build clientele. Harlem Chop sold-out food for the 1st time this year at Awkward Brewery in Fayetteville Ga. The downside to building clientele is when people don’t know or recognize your food truck, sitting in a location praying someone, anyone be brave enough to stop and try your food LOL. Two-Three hours can go by and you don’t get any customers and your like WTF LOL and then it happens, a car pulls up! They hop out and read the board and say “What’s a Chop Cheese”? I tell them it’s “Spanish Harlem Wave” similar to a Philly but better and no cheese whiz. Customer’s usually say they’ve heard of it but never had one big. I always say “damn let’s fix that” and get a Wavy Chop Cheese Sandwich with onions, peppers & mushrooms, gotta get some truffle fries on the side and grab a Pepsi! These days the world is simple, you have it all at your finger tips! A gift and a curse is the internet for the moment which is best thing smoking to build clientele, great food, pics of food & a few good videos can make you famous.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Are there any books or videos that have impacted my life managerial/entrepreneurial thinking is a dope question. The cliché thing would be to say the bible right? But seriously I read the book of Psalm chapter 27 & The book of Job in the bible. I’ve come to a point in my life where being an entrepreneur is my only option. That is my motivation & I’ve always been a team player so management is easy. Winning is not easy and communicating with others is super important and that goes for anything in live, no more no Less.       

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.HarlemChop.Com
• Instagram: @HarlemChopLLC
• Facebook: @HarlemChopLLC
• TikTok: @HarlemChop