We were lucky to catch up with Jared Richmond recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jared thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents gave me a strong foundation in 2 keys areas. My Christian faith and a good work ethic. Because my brother and I had an innate artist talent, and won numerous competitions, scholarships and the like. They saw the potential to get sidetracked from actually most important, that’s spirituality and giving back not just to the creator, but to fellow man. So they reminded me to always keep focused on what’s most important, and being true to one’s self. I can remember them saying “you can go on to do great things, make a name for yourself, but we’ll be most proud of you, if you keep God first, and do right by people. I keep that focus even now, when operating my food truck and catering services. It’s a delicate balance in doing what I love, wanting to grow, but also not allowing myself to be consumed by it. So we tend do a lot of private events, and still get out to the public, admittedly not as much as I (mostly they) would like, but it leaves me time to volunteer in helping others. It’s imperative to maintain a good work/life balance and though I fully believe we have the best food truck in the Memphis area, I like that it’s still people discovering us even after 9 years in the catering and food service business.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Born and raised in Memphis, with roots in the historic Orange Mound community to parents who attended Melrose High School, and Grandparents who were excellent cooks. (Grand father Cloyd- Moms side) & Grandmother Zettie (Dad’s side) a favorite of Zettie’s (to my cousin’s chagrin) of my, affectionately known as “Bea” I grew up loving her cooking, and baking, and when slightly taller than the counter top I started cooking also. My first venture “BeaSweet bakery” was an ode to my grandmother who had passed a few years prior, both in moniker and meaning. Grandma Bea would always say “ be sweet &be kind Jude – a nickname she gave me with unknown origins. So the name BeaSweet just came easily and I started out baking desserts, for several Memphis restaurants, and neighborhood grocery store. While working for the IRS (which one needs very little motivation to leave) I became a fan of the tv show in which food trucks would compete with one another on a popular tv network. They soon visited Memphis, and after waiting 2hours for the most regular grilled cheese sandwich, that will remain nameless, I thought, I could do this. So with the help and support of my better half, friends and family, I started the journey to open Gourmade Food Truck, Gourmade being a hybrid of Gourmet and homemade, since I wanted to do things a little fancier than typical street food quality but also still recognizable and homemade. We’ve made a nice name for ourselves in being consistent, and delicious no matter what we serve. We stand apart because we do a little bit of everything, but we do it all really well, from The Mac & Cheese which rivals anyone’s grandmother, to the SheCrab soup which a customer from Maine recently said was the best she ever had, to the many desserts that often sell out in the first hour. We really try to make each meal memorable.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
My business was funded by hard work and hustle. Simple as that. I didn’t want to take out any loans, and I didn’t want to take on any major partners to fund it. I wanted to have full autonomy, so I pounded the pavement and used social media to advertise my baked goods, such as cakes, cookies, cupcakes, etc. I developed relationships with office complexes, barbershops, coffee shops and workmates. I was disciplined enough to take the earnings I would make and set them aside to pay for all my equipment and purchase the once mail carrier now food truck. It took me a year to put together the 25k I needed, which was not easy, but nothing worth it ever is. I worked from 6-2pm at IRS and would make deliveries & bake from the time I got off until usually about 1am, leaving just a handful of sleep available, but It was all apart of the journey and made me that much more determined to open and walk away from my 9-5 or 6-2 but you get it.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Although I don’t paint and draw as much as I used to or would like too, I still have the same creative passion and now I use food as my medium. As a creative, we generally love to do just that, create, and though it brings us satisfaction, we’re also usually hardest on ourselves. But when you create something that truly is beautiful to you, it can be hard to let go, be it painting, sculpture, photograph. I still fell the same when preparing a meal for others, it’s also satisfying when everything just comes out perfect, and equally nerve wracking when you doubt the end product and hope that they will enjoy every single bite. But being a creative is about growing, improving, making and learning from your mistakes and getting the feedback from your clients. I also love the freedom I have to just take time away from the craft and work on things to improve, or introducing people to dishes and flavors that they may be unfamiliar with or just unfamiliar with the combination I’ve put together. There’s nothing more rewarding than someone saying “that was the best “———-“ I’ve ever had. I never got that with any paintings I’ve sold.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Gourmadefoodruck
- Facebook: Gourmadefoodruck
Image Credits
Khara Woods