Today we’d like to introduce you to Clyde Grant II.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Clyde. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Throughout my life, I always indulged in creative expression. Whether it was writing poetry, conducting interviews with other creatives and entrepreneurs, or taking part in visual art exhibitions. One day, an Executive Chef by the name of Ralph Medellin encouraged me to enter the culinary world after seeing my visual art. I took him up on his offer, and afterwards I was never the same.
Often, I tried to reconcile how the different mediums I expressed myself through would intersect and created a website for them too. While doing this inner work, I also honed my skills at the Four Seasons Hotel, under its Executive Chef at the time, Maurizio Ferrarese. Shortly after, I was invited by Melissa Wilson of Fox 26 news to come on the air to showcase my culinary talent.
My path was being paved. Soon enough, an investor propositioned me to move to the DMV area to start a food truck. Once there, I learned some of what it took to start a culinary business, being a vendor at local farmer’s markets. The investor became occupied with putting their energy and time into a personal project, so I decided to bring the food truck home to Houston and open it here.
Now I’m currently working a culinary job, bootstrapping for permits and doing the occasional pop-up. I’m currently aiming to become a vendor at the Urban Harvest River Oaks farmer’s market, as I ready my food truck for opening.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it definitely hasn’t been all sunshine and gumdrops on this end. Although I had a short respite from financial struggles to fund the finishing of my food truck while living in DC, I no longer have that luxury.
Rejection is there, from applications to day/overnight jobs to fund my bigger aspirations, to proposals to do pop-up restaurants at various establishments. But you can’t give up.
I believe that time is of the essence. But, it’s finite and trying to balance a stressful culinary day job, investing time and money into your own business, while managing a life outside of that and personal relationships is difficult.
Please tell us about Fire and Knives.
Fire and Knives is a culinary concept, born out of a desire to meld the various creative outlets I hold dear through food (visual art, writing/communication), while also serving as a channel to inspire other creatives and entrepreneurs into action with their goals and aspirations.
Fire and Knives has a food truck that’s currently in the process of being finished (permitting, etc.), does pop-ups, as well as farmer’s markets, and event vending. We’re known for presentation, combination of flavors, and incorporation of shapes into food.
I’m most proud of actually owning a food truck. Getting to this point, this soon is something that still hasn’t quite hit me yet.
What sets me apart from others are my unique influences, tastes, and approach to food. I see cooking as alchemy.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
The moment I got my food truck was the proudest moment of my career, hands down. It was the point of no return, in a way confirming that I can own and run my own legitimate creative/culinary business.
Some of the lessons I learned were that things are always more expensive than you may anticipate. Everyone won’t stay around or share the same vision, you have to keep a reminder of why you started. I learned the process, and to focus on accomplishing goals as opposed to fast-tracking to opening or getting to market ASAP. I also learned that nothing will ever be perfect, so you can halt your process or work completely just because circumstances don’t look *exactly* how you’d like it to.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fireandknives.tx
- Phone: 713-364-4130
- Email: fireandknivestx@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fireandknivestx
- Twitter: @chrysalisclyde
Image Credit:
Clyde Ellington Grant II, Lester Green
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