Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leo & Nelly Jamoralin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Leo & Nelly , appreciate you joining 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.
Our family has always loved going on vacations. One of Leo’s favorite things to do whenever we travel is to enjoy breakfast together, it’s his absolute favorite meal of the day. Back in 2022, Leo told me that he wanted to start a business of his own. As his wife, I knew my role was to support him in every way I could.
At first, we were inspired by the many cozy breakfast cafés we would visit during our trips. But Leo’s initial idea was actually to open a sushi food truck. He spent countless hours watching videos, researching, and talking to other food truck owners to get advice about the sushi business. After many conversations and careful consideration, we realized that a sushi food truck might not work as we had hoped, the setup, storage, and freshness challenges would make it difficult to maintain quality and consistency.
So, we went back to our original idea, a breakfast food truck. We both felt that this concept had more potential, with so many opportunities to be creative and to connect with people who love breakfast as much as we do. Every night, Leo would watch YouTube videos about how to start a food truck business, how to make sandwiches, and how to create a simple yet unique menu.
After months of planning, we finally agreed on a menu that reflected both our personalities and our love for Asian flavors. We wanted something unique, fusion-inspired, and easy to enjoy. We started with only four sandwiches: The Manila, The Bulgogi, The BEC, and The Grumpy. We wanted to keep it simple, not overwhelming for customers but still flavorful and exciting.
Everything we make is from scratch, especially our ingredients. At first, our plan was to offer customers a choice of three types of bread Brioche, Bagel, and Pandesal (a traditional Filipino bread). But after opening, we quickly noticed that people loved our brioche bread so much that we decided to stick with it exclusively.
In many ways, we were solving a small but meaningful problem: bringing simple, high-quality comfort food to people who appreciate freshness, flavor, and heart behind the product.
What excited us the most was the possibility that this little idea could become part of people’s routines—maybe a quick stop during their day, a treat before and after work, or something they share with friends and family.
Seeing customers come back, hearing their kind words, and watching people smile after taking that first bite reminds us why we started.
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.
Our journey into the food truck business didn’t happen overnight. Like many small business owners, it came from a combination of curiosity, hard work, and a strong desire to build something meaningful. We’ve always believed that food is more than just something we eat—it’s an experience that can bring people together, brighten someone’s day, and create small moments of happiness.
When the idea for Grumpy Dough first came to life, the goal was simple: to create something authentic. We wanted to offer sandwich that is fresh, flavorful, and made with care. We wanted our customers to feel that what they’re getting is made with real attention and heart.
Every sandwich we serve reflects the effort and passion we put into making sure our customers leave satisfied. We pay close attention to the small details because we believe those details are what make the biggest difference.
What we are most proud of is seeing how people respond to what we’ve built. Every returning customer, every kind comment, and every time someone tells us they loved the food reminds us why we started. Building something from the ground up takes courage, patience, and a lot of hard work, but moments like these make it all worth it.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A Story of Resilience – Grumpy Dough
When we first started Grumpy Dough, the journey was far from easy. Like many small businesses, we faced moments where things felt uncertain. There were long days and even longer nights, waking up early to prepare ingredients.
The first three months after opening were some of the toughest days of our journey. Just two weeks in, our generator broke down. We were frustrated, sad, and honestly felt a bit hopeless, knowing how expensive it would be to replace. Thankfully, our family stepped in to help us buy a new one — something we’ll forever be grateful for.
In the beginning, Leo parked the truck downtown, selling just three to five sandwiches a day. But he never gave up. There were nights when he stayed out from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m., doing everything he could to introduce our sandwiches to people. Many would ask, “You’re a breakfast truck, so why are you selling at night?”
After a while, Leo told me he couldn’t keep doing that. He wanted our truck to be known for breakfast, not dinner. That’s when he came up with the idea to partner with local coffee shops. I started reaching out, emailing different coffee shop owners to see if they would let us park near their locations.
Out of all the messages I sent, only one shop — The Roots Coffee & Co. — said yes. I reached out to Gina and Kenzie, and they kindly opened their doors to us, asking for nothing in return. Their kindness and support truly changed everything for us. We prayed every night that we would meet people who could help us — and then Gina and Kenzey came into our lives. They welcomed us with open arms and treated us like family.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
What helped us build our reputation in the market is our consistency and genuine passion for what we do. From the beginning, we focused on making high-quality sandwiches and putting care into every order. We didn’t try to rush growth — we focused on doing things right, making good food, and giving customers a great experience.
Word of mouth also played a huge role. When customers enjoy the food and feel welcomed, they naturally tell their friends and come back again. Those returning customers helped spread the word about Grumpy Dough.
Another big factor is staying connected with our community. We listen to feedback, keep improving, and always try to make every visit memorable. Over time, that consistency, quality, and customer connection helped build trust and a strong reputation for Grumpy Dough.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://grumpydough.com/
- Instagram: grumpydough.slc
- Facebook: Grumpydough.slc
- Yelp: Grumpy Dough
