dirty south deliI love sandwiches. I think they’re fun and they can be much more than meat, cheese and bread. You can almost create a meal on a plate between two slices of bread. – Jacob Hunter on his life-long obsession and endless possibilities of the sandwich. 

 

Jacob Hunter is obsessed  with the possibilities of the sandwich and isn’t afraid to show it. He’s got a sandwich tattooed on his forearm to prove it!

In today’s main course, we discuss Jacob Hunter’s transition from corporate chef to food truck entrepreneur and the early days of Washington D.C.’s Dirty South Deli. Hunter also shares how he and business partner Will Fung came up with their restaurant concept and unique names for menu items. Listen to the episode for the full story.

What You’ll Learn

  • Why Jacob chose to leave his job as a corporate chef and start his own venture with business partner Will Fung.
  • How Jacob’s experience running new restaurants helped him during the early stages of his own business.
  • How Dirty South Deli was approached by a museum to provide a regular lunch service.
  • How Dirty South Deli maintains a busy schedule through brewery events during the winter months
  • Why working with Union Kitchen was critical for networking and getting started in the Washington D.C. area.
  • The reasons Dirty Deli South chose their food truck manufacturer from their local options
  • Why partners Hunter and Fung decided to put creative spins on the names of their sandwiches, like Nic Cage, which features andouille sausage AKA “Caviar of the South” – homemade pimento cheese with Duke’s mayo, house cured pickles, and pressed Pullman white bread.
  • Jacob Hunter has a sandwich tattoo on his forearm.
  • How business partners Jacob Hunter and Will Fung determined their food truck’s menu.
  • How to use social media, including Instagram for a mobile food unit.
  • A brief history of some of the great Nicholas Cage movies of our time like ConAir and Leaving Las Vegas.

 

The man. The Myth. Nicholas Cage with a sandwich.

The man. The Myth. Nicholas Cage with a sandwich.

The Dirty South Deli Food Truck. Build by East Coast Custom Coaches.

The Dirty South Deli Food Truck. Build by East Coast Custom Coaches.

Mentioned in the Show

Dirty South Deli – The official website. You’ll find the menu and most importantly the events calendar. If you live in the Washington, D.C., area you’ll find Dirty South Deli providing lunch service most days at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. You can also catch them on the weekends at local breweries like Atlas Brew Works and 3 Stars Brewing Co. 

Matchbox Food Group – This is where Jacob Hunter honed his culinary chops early in his career. When Hunter reached his mid-thirties he decided it was time to leave the safe and secure job to pursue his own ventures.

East Coast Custom Coaches – This is the Washington, D.C. based manufacturer chosen by Dirty South Deli to build their vehicle. ECCC is a verified builder on FoodTruckEmpire.com with a extensive track record of building high-quality mobile food units in the D.C. area.  View more of their past builds and listen to a past interview with them here.

Union Kitchen – Food incubator and commissary for new food businesses in Washington D.C. They are also a previous guest on the FoodTruckEmpire.com podcast. Today’s guest Jacob Hunter of Dirty South Deli connected with Thunder Beast Root Beer at Union Kitchen. Ice cold Thunder Beast is now served out of the food truck.

FoodMarketingPodcast.com –  Marc Jordan Paxton is raising capital to continue this awesome food podcast. Last month, he published an interview with yours truly that you should check out. View his crowdfunding page at FoodStart.com now.

Want to start your own food business?

Hey! 👋I’m Brett Lindenberg, the founder of Food Truck Empire.

We interview successful founders and share the stories behind their food trucks, restaurants, food and beverage brands. By sharing these stories, I want to help others get started.

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