We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Latoya Burpo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Latoya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Taste of Toya‘s world was created out of the pandemic. I was working at a factory when COVID-19 hit the US and I was sent home for six months, waiting on an unemployment, and which I did not receive until I was back at work. While I was sitting at home for the six months, I decided to cook more because all the restaurants was closed and out of boredom. I start posting it on Facebook just have something to talk about build a conversation of some sort. However, to my surprise, I had got a lot of request of people want to buy what I was posting.. because I didn’t have any income coming in at the time I decided to take them up on their offer. I start to make enough money to catch up on some bills. So I continue to do it, so I went back to work. Once I went back to work, I had built up a customer base that in which I was making more money breaking in food to sell to my coworkers than actually punching the clock. so I came up with this crazy idea like I need a Food Truck I always had a vision of owning a food truck, but never thought it would go nowhere. Once I received my unemployment, I took my 401(k) plan from my job and invested in me a Food Truck. I continue to work at my job for another year to buy all the appliances and everything that I need to be up to code.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I always love to cook so when I figured out that I can make a living of doing what I love. Instead of working 9to 5 for someone that I was not happy with. I decided to take a leap of faith and investing in myself. Taste Of Toya’s World is the Home Of The Loaded Fries and Wings!! But we cook a little bit of everything. Such burger, burritos, tacos, nachos, hotdogs, salads.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Yes Taste Of Toya’s World was a side hustle to get through the Pandemic. After about a year, I decided to quit my job. To make my Taste Of Toya’s World,LLC my full time career/business. I remember the first time being able to be in the Art Prize as a food truck vendor. I thought to myself I made it.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Because of I decided to build during the pandemic. The prices of equipment were 2-3 times higher than normal. The wait time for things to get shipped was around 3-6 months behind. The first year I had my truck. I went to a campsite for a week and the power that was provided to us to blow my equipment out. I had to start over with buying a fridge and cooler and on top of all someone came in my backyard and stole my generator off my trailer. It seemed like everything time I thought I 1 step forward something pulled me backwards 2 steps. There’s been times where my power kept going out in the middle of an event. In I will have to call my handyman and keep serving the customers like nothing wrong.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: Taste Of Toya’s World,LLC
- Yelp: Taste Of Toya’s World
Image Credits
Taste Of Toya’s World,LLC Latoya Burpo