Today we’d like to introduce you to Vere Johan Oliver.
Vere, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In a nutshell, someone asked me to make oxtails, and now here we are (lol). Not entirely the case- my best friend owns and operates a restaurant back home, and while completing my MBA at the time, I decided to do some research into the food truck market in the U.S. I was interested to see how such a market operated in comparison to that of the Caribbean- and where/how opportunities may be present. During the 2020 pandemic, I was on furlough; and during such time, I decided to test the waters (June 2020). Seeing as I had no physical location, folks were working from home, and the world was socially closed at the time, I put a small menu together and advertised it first to friends and such for home delivery and/or pick-up. Word of mouth and the use of social media in the proximate range was my advertising and marketing-focused outlets for the sake of market testing scalability and other cost-efficient resourceful measures. As social life presented itself again, folks started reaching out as to where they could find me, so they could order food and/or dine in. I still had no physical operating location- my apartment was not a hosting option (lol). Now, I was doing the food ordering and delivery pop-ups just about every other week, but as we were nearing the end of the year, I began cutting back since Thanksgiving and Christmas were nearing, among other busy moments. Nonetheless, with the steady requests to accommodate customers, I had to find a physical place to operate.
In January 2021, I met the owner of Crush It Virtual Sports Lounge, Mike Speeds. He had just started an operation near me in Grapevine and welcomed the idea of me using his kitchen as a ghost kitchen for my pop-up operation. This new movement started in March 2021, and we began serving a wider crowd at least two (2) days per week, from March through to August. With a bigger operating space, we focused on customer feedback and interests, recipes, food options, and pricing. The ultimate goal was to acquire a food truck for operation, so we also made sure that whatever was being produced in a commercial space could be replicated in a mobile kitchen. At the end of the 2021 summer, we ended the pop-up to focus on acquiring the truck. I was fortunate to have met a truck owner who was expanding to a brick and mortar for his barbecue restaurant and was willing to sell his food truck
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?
Any entrepreneurial venture that is capital intensive can likely experience more challenges and obstacles than smooth roads in its early phases. Fortunately for us, capital budgeting and planning, as best as possible considering many intangibles, has been a saving point for us. One of the biggest concerns for me was to make sure the truck was capable of sustaining most of its short-term fixed expenses (loan, insurance, etc.) on its own; while leveraging operational expenses with out-of-pocket resources. With that potential challenge in mind, the focus was made on finding venues and events where we could operate on a weekly/monthly basis. The main challenge faced overall was labor! Finding workers who were available, capable, and reliable was most tedious. Beyond the food truck, I am a Revenue/GRC Analyst within corporate America, and I have a tennis academy (compete, teach, coach, and racquet technician)- so with my interesting life activities, I needed all the competent assistance possible.
Fortunately, though, I am blessed to have a small yet extremely efficient team working along with me amidst the chaos that can abound. I have a primary cook who focuses on my main plate meals (Wadadli Eatz) and 2 to 4 workers on the truck- one who is an amazing baker (All Caked Up). The remaining amazing help comes from my sister (who is a Ph.D. student- so her time is invaluable), a couple of my tennis students, and a childhood friend (G Force) who loves sharing kitchen experience and knowledge. The crew has definitely been God’s blessing in allowing me to continue to operate effectively across all my paths.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about OLI’S Island Shack?
Oli’S Island Shack is owned and operated by an Antiguan team- Antigua is an island located in the Caribbean. We serve a select Caribbean menu, including Jerk Chicken/Oxtail Plate (with Rice & Peas, Fried Plantain, Coleslaw, Mac-Pie (Macaroni Pie seasoned with onions, peppers, and other seasoned secrets), and Jamaican Beef Patties. Some of our other best tastiest are our Jerk BBQ and Pineapple Wings and our Loaded Jerk Fries (lightly salted fries, with chopped/shredded Jerk chicken loaded on top, with Feta cheese and chives, and drizzled with our aioli jerk sauce). Our infusion of flavors and creativity between our Caribbean cuisine and American dishes have really helped us to win over new customers; simply by providing common dishes but with different tastes. This then allows us to introduce other menu items to these customers, providing them with more options and increasing the overall experience. I am most proud so far of the ways in which my brand has been used to creative value in areas outside of the food service industry. So far, we have been participative in fundraising activities for school district initiatives, tennis activities, and medical emergencies. It is most gratifying to see how we have been able to extend our value proposition in such a short operational time, where we can be efficiently multifaceted through creative initiative opportunities.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Numbers do not lie! In the simplicity of everything, make sure the venture is viable and that there is demand for the market to determine your opportunity. Despite the big picture we may all have in our heads, look to start small, so things can be observed more microscopically; so that the growth path and scalability can be optimized. Do as much research as needed, but not to the point that you get caught up in making the first step. Also, when having a long-term picture/goal/objective for your operation can help (at least for me) allow for better result-based planning and not being short-sighted and crammed in thought and execution.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @olisislandshack
- Facebook: Oli’S Island Shack
Image Credits
Teshorn Jackson
