We were lucky to catch up with Julie Armstrong recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Julie, thanks for joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
Although I am incredibly happy as a business owner, I have thought about what it would be like to have a regular 9-5 job. As a food truck owner, you work a lot of holidays, weekends, and long hours. Sometimes it feels like I never have a day off. On days I don’t have an event and don’t have to to prep, I still have to answer emails, go to the bank, go to the Restaurant Store, fill my propane tanks, fill my generators with gas etc. The list goes on and on. Especially in this industry, you are as successful as the amount of hard work you put into it. Sometimes this is my downfall because I overload myself with work. Trying to find the perfect balance of work and home life is something I have yet to achieve. Prior to starting my business, I was in school to be a dietitian who worked a 9-5 job. In times where I get overwhelmed, I do think about what it would be like if that were my life. My life would be more routine. That thought doesn’t last too long, because I remember how much joy and happiness I bring to all those who eat my food. I truly love hearing people’s raving reviews on my food. No matter how many hard days I may have, at the end of it all, I wouldn’t ever wish for a simple 9-5 job, because I know that this is what I’m meant to do.
Julie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I went to Mt Joy CTC my senior year of high school and completed their culinary program. While this was not a culinary arts degree, this is where I learned the basics in the kitchen. I did a Co op program where I went to work at the Pressroom instead of attending CTC. I was then offered a job as a prep cook at the Pressroom once I graduated. While cooking was my dream, it was not financially rewarding at the young age of 18. I decided to go back to college to get a degree to have a more secure future. I completely my Gen Eds at HACC and transferred to West Chester University for their Nutrition and Dietetics program. My goal was to be a dietitian. Although I loved nutrition, cooking was something I knew I was meant to do. Once COVID hit in 2020, it gave me tons of time off from school and I was able to get back in the kitchen again. In June 2020 I created a Facebook page to sell my food, and Gourmet Julie’s Way was born. I made biweekly menus and delivered all the orders myself. The response was incredible! I quickly gained popularity and decided that I wanted to get a food truck in order to expand. I started doing events with my trailer in September 2021. My goal was to be different than any other truck. I wanted to bring the restaurant to you, so I created a menu that was entirely made from scratch, right down to the condiments. While most trucks specialize in one item, I was different. I was a one stop shop, offering American style appetizers, entrees, and dessert! While the contents of my menu changed over time, currently you can find a little bit of everything to satisfy anyone’s pallet. I offer items such as Chicken Tacos, two kinds of Burger Sliders, a Cornbread Bowl, Crab Hush Puppies, Pulled Pork Sliders, Salad, Turkey Bacon Ranch Sandwich, delicious 5 layered pie, etc, all made from scratch. I take so much pride in my food, because it’s great quality homemade food that I solely make myself! I believe that if you follow a recipe and produce an item that someone enjoys, then they’re not really enjoying YOUR creation. This is why I don’t ever use recipes! Everything I make is my own creation, idea, and recipe, which is why I 100% stand behind my food and take so much pride in each item that goes out my window.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media has played an important role in my business. When I first started out making biweekly menus and did deliveries, Facebook was the sole platform where customers would find the menu and place and order. More and more people started learning about my business through Facebook, and my number of followers drastically increased. When I finally got my food truck I already had a huge following. This greatly benefited me when I started doing trailer events because I already had many regular customers who now visited my trailer. I was already established and well know. Compared to many other food trucks, I have a very large Facebook following which is something I’m super grateful for.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
My best source of new customers is doing large public events. The more events you do, the more people try your food, and that’s the most important thing. You’re going to have events that don’t turn out to be as busy as you had hoped. While your sales might not be high, you may have served 50 new people who never tried your food. All it takes is for someone to try your food once, love it, and then tell someone else about your business. That is how you continue to grow followers and regular customers. Word of mouth is the best advertising you can get!
Contact Info:
- Website: Gourmetjuliesway.com
- Instagram: @Gourmetjuliesway
- Facebook: @ Gourmetjuliesway