We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Loree Walker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Loree thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

The biggest challenge to profitability first in foremost the cost that are being driven up for whatever reason, As soon as we adjust prices they increase again. Then while everything is going up around us we have employees that are experiencing there own financial challenges so then it places us in compromising positions, it is definitely a challenge when things are consistently getting worse for the small business owner

Loree, 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?

Lauren’ and Loree are identical twins and they together with Keith Walker Loree’s husband own double trouble Philly cheesesteaks. Keith and Loree brought a flat grill in 2011 and began having there Texan friends over during football season especially when the Philadelphia Eagles played to share a real down home Philly cheesesteak with them, Lauren would help me take orders from our guest while my husband entertained. In 2019 the Twins brother Lawrence Irving and Lauren were discussing a family business and they wanted me to explore the food truck industry. Lawrence put up the first $10,000.00 and we financed a food truck through the Rent2own trailers in Houston Texas. We make the Philly Cheesesteaks as a replica of our favorite spot in the hood where we grew up, so that authentic taste, with the right combinations of cheeses and the right bread. People think it’s about the meat it’s about the Bread!!!
What sets us apart is not the food it’s a bonus but we love people and it shows in everything we do, we bait our customers not with the food but with our personalities and friendliness. We interact with any body even if just browsing the menu, we like to explain what makes us authentic, and insure them they can trust us not to disappoint them like all those chains that cart a so called Philly cheesesteak. We like them to teach Them how to order, and what goes on an Philly cheesesteak.

The one thing I would like new clients to know is that we serve our sandwiches with a passion. That is unlike no other because we just absolutely can not have you walk away from our truck with a bad experience, and even worse that you didn’t feel like a friend of ours. We get extra excited when people walk up to the truck with a Philly jersey or hat or anything Philly just makes it feel like home, we adore new customers, curious customers and of course the doubting customer that has been disappointed so many times that he refuses to believe we are the real deal😂

Double Trouble name comes from them being twins and Lauren is a Dallas Cowboy fan (imagine that)

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Wow! We have quit a few stories. We opened our business in 2019 quit our full time jobs and picked up our food truck, then BAMCovid-19 what a disaster, events were cancelled, bars shut down, and Lauren came down with COVID we were at a list for words, by us being woman of faith we though Hello God we know you saw this coming are you kidding me right now😳 Of course church also shut down where we would go to hear a word from God. We prayed we cried and we convinced each other that God was at work and we needed to stay the course. So we robbed Peter yo pay Paul and stayed faithful to the task at hand. We had past due notices, back taxes, collection calls, sick father Lord it would have been only to justifiable to give it all up. But we didn’t let go. Lauren and I called our bosses back went back to work while reducing truck hours and used the income from our jobs to help cover the gaps that we lacked from business sales. We are still here!!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting seemed to be the name of the game! Everything we planned, was not the plan, we grew frustrated but never said to quick. And just like that God places people and opportunities in our path that we never saw coming. Keith and Loree play competitive tennis and a guy that they play with out of the blue walked up and ask how was business and if there was anything he could do. He paid off the food truck Nineteen Thousand dollars!!!!
What!!!
Then we got an email that was very generic turned out to be legit Double Trouble Philly Cheesesteaks was chosen to be on a food truck competition on the cooking channel and food network called the food truck face off episode 1 at the Rosehill Beer Garden where we are now residents of the hill! Owned by Eddie Jackson who is a food network super star!!! Yes when I say the Favor ain’t Fair that’s exactly what I mean. We had to be like football players in this business when you get hit you shake it off and get in the huddle, when your helmet gets knocked off you grab it readjust it and get back in play and you play until Coach takes you out! We are here until we get taking out of the game and we refuse to be taking out by a player Coach will have to bench us!
Then We we’re introduced to Bill Moore who wrote several books on the industry and he has help keep our heads in the game. The There was Helen Kramer from our apps who helped us market and created our App from Florida and then drive flew to Texas when our Father died first time meeting her in person and showed up to our parents home and was not just a little guest showing her condolences she got there watched kids, at the house while we handled funeral arrangements, was responsible for greeting mom to the church and then was given security code to go to the house after the services and set up food and direct people that were coming to the house!! This is the kind of people that were places in our lives as a result of the food truck industry. It has not been all good but these notes alone makes it all worth it

Contact Info:

• Website: www. Dtpchtx.com
• Instagram: Dtpchtc
• Facebook: Doubletrouble Philly cheesesteaks