Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Greene.
Hi Peter, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I could remember for as long as I can how much I wanted to own my own restaurant. I’ve owned my own business from the time that I was 12 years old when I ran my own lawnmowing business and had 15 accounts every other week.
I love cooking for people and it always made me feel great when the food came out good and everybody enjoyed it. I got this inspiration for Food Truck from a mentor I had talked to over the years who had the same idea and just never did anything about it.
When I was old enough, probably about 15 I set out to get a job in the restaurant industry. From there, I knew that that was the only way that I was going to be able to learn what I wanted to learn to be able to open my own restaurant one day.
So I worked in the restaurant industry until one-day tragedy struck at home. My brother suffered a brain injury from a tragic drunk, driving accident. After that, I packed up my things and moved to Florida, and continued on with my restaurant career. Once I knew he was in good hands with my mother I worked extremely hard in the industry until one day I became a sous chef and then from a sous chef I got to run my own kitchen in a fine dining steakhouse.
I worked in that restaurant, building up a couple more for the people who owned it until one-day tragedy struck again, back at home in Virginia. My brother fell ill again and soon passed away.
After that, I continue to work in the restaurant industry for a little bit until I couldn’t take the stress anymore with the passing of my brother and running in a full kitchen plus helping with the other restaurants I retired from the industry and went into hiding, or I also quit drinking and went into sobriety.
From there I worked many years as a sales and sports rep and words, my way up fast in the industry until one day again tragedy struck again. This time it was COVID-19. I was put on leave and was told to collect unemployment, while others still worked their jobs and were the last successful than I was in helping the company grow.
From here as many would, I was not happy with the outcome of COVID-19 as I had lost my job and career and was brought back with more work and less help. I decided that I didn’t want to work the 9 to 5 no more. So that dream I had many years ago I decided I wanted to make a reality and I set out to do what I needed to do to get the job done.
And here I am today doing an interview and talking about my business and the successes I’ve had since I opened.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth ride because I work mostly by myself and it can be difficult at times with the way the economy is these days to Keith help on. Good reliable help.
I don’t have investors, so everything that comes out of his business comes out of my pocket or from the money I make in this business.
I’ve started from the bottom, and now I’m where I am today, but it has not been smooth, having to learn the In-N-Out of a business.
This includes marketing, emails, social media management, photos, websites, event planning, phone calls, delivery systems, IRS, and the state, and federal agencies.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We do just about everything like we cater all sorts of events, businesses, and fundraisers.
We create a safe and fun environment for our guests whom we call family.
We work with nonprofits and do fundraisers and events that bring awareness to our community.
We support medicinal cannabis as a natural remedy to get clean from drugs and alcohol.
We donate and give back to our community and to those in need.
We want to create an environment that is inviting to all and where you can feel comfortable inviting whoever you want.
We have something for everyone and are now building onto my location and inviting other trucks to be a part of our dream and creating a food truck court and venue hall.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the artistic side of Tampa.
I dislike the traffic and how unaware drivers are as they ride motorcycles so it’s a little sketchy sometimes.
Pricing:
- Regular entrees 8-25$
- Vegan entrees. 8-15$
- Sides 3-9$
- Drinks 2-5$
- Desserts 6$
Contact Info:
- Website: TheDankAF.com
- Instagram: @dankaffoodtruck
- Facebook: @thedankaffoodtruck
