JBee's Jamaican Me Crazy

GOAL: $1,000
LEND NOW: KIVA.ORG/LEND/1730544

Business Description

I started with 10 dinners and after two months 10 dinners, became 250 dinners. My passion for cooking Jamaican food grew quickly and I knew this was something I had to pursue. A huge opportunity came when I was afforded the privilege to be a guest chef in R house, as one of the second chefs to rent out a space. R house is a new concept in Baltimore, a food court of restaurants where chef's pop in for several weeks and pop out. I must say, “I did very well”. I believe God was showing me confirmation. At that time, I knew I was ready to pursue my passion. I then took a leap of faith and started building a brand soon to become a household name. When I realized I had an excellent product people kept coming back for, I started business.

My BIGGEST challenge was walking away from a good local government job with benefits and perks. Now the HUGE challenge is to stay positive and motivated while I fix my food truck engine to make up to two months of revenue for my company. My future goal is to franchise and have Jbee’s Jamaican Me Crazy become a household name in every state across America. Being an entrepreneur, I realize you must have the courage to stay consistent and persistent, no matter what comes or goes, in this complex industry. Moreover, I strongly believe in serving my community, with my food offering discounts and donating to non-profit organizations.

On this journey, it has been an honor and a privilege to cater / vend for the Baltimore City Mayors’ office. I was also recently nominated for the Baltimore Sun's Best Eats in 2019, which is an honor considering my food truck is up against well-known restaurants.

What is the purpose of this loan?

My food truck engine needing to be replaced, it has stunted my business growth. I expect the purchase of a remanufactured engine to put my business back to full swing. I will spend the funding on a remanufactured 86 Chevy 350 5.7 p30 Engine and labor cost.