Today we’d like to introduce you to Zack Elbay.
Zack, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story began a long time ago when I was nine years old. I was just a comic loving kid who wanted to get and wear a Spider Man costume.
I grew up watching my father work hard and make sacrifices for our family. He would leave for work early in the morning and return home late after midnight. Then he would get up and do it all over again the next morning.
Growing up middle class, I always had this wish list. However, I never shared it with my father in fear he would have to work even harder. It was hard watching other kids get their favorite toys every Christmas, while I was pretending I got the whole world, but never that Spider Man costume.
When I turned eighteen, I decided to get a job while attending school to help my family. Combing work and school is not easy, but napping in the classroom did help. My first job paid less than $5 an hour at a local restaurant, but I loved it. I helped parked their customers’ cars. The cars were so fancy and fun. It’s probably where my love of vehicles first started. I worked every morning and afternoon shift that I could, and then I would attend school in the evening. After six months, I lost that job because I was late many times. I was frustrated. I told myself that I would get any and every job that I could find. After searching for weeks, I found a new job as a security guard. I had to work every night for 12 hours from 6pm-6am, and then a 24-hour shift on the weekends. While I watched others go out and have fun each Saturday night, I was freezing in my small car just working away. However, I knew I had to keep on going to help my family.
Later that year, I decide to enroll in the Art Institute. Again, I had to keep working to help pay for such an expensive school. Ultimately, they dropped me from my classes because I could not keep up with tuition.
Needing a way to relax, I went to my favorite store, Home Depot. When I arrived at Home Depot, I saw a food truck parked outside. I went into the store and thought to myself, why not go and ask if the food truck is looking for any help. I’m a pretty good handy man, so I asked if the food truck owner needed any help with improvements for his truck. He said sure; he had some exterior damages and some major kitchen appliance issues. I would go everyday to Home Depot. I would go inside and buy the materials necessary, and then go outside and fix the food truck. The owner loved the work I did for him. I did not get paid much, but it felt good to be able to help someone. I had to use the money I saved to get back to school. One day, the food truck owner asked me if I had time to fix his friend’s ice cream truck. I was so excited to work on something I have developed a passion for. I had to borrow money for more tools to work on the truck, but it was worth it. I worked all day and all night because I knew I had to get the job done. Someone was depending on me to fix their small business so they could be open again the next day. I finished the job just in time to go home and nap for a couple of hours before school.
Later that year, I decided to share a small 700 square foot shop space. I knew I wanted to fix more food trucks. I would get a couple calls a week, and then I started getting a couple more phone calls daily. One day I said, why not build my own food truck? I sold my 1995 Jeep for $4,000. I had to take the risk. I lost an old friend, but I gained my first step van. I ended up working two jobs and long hours to cover my expenses, but it was all worth the risk. After five months, I finished my first food truck. It was not perfect, but I got it done. I went to every spot in Houston day and night running the food truck myself. Cleaning, prepping, cooking, and cleaning again, but people loved my food and my food truck.
One evening, I had a customer order some food and ask me if I ever thought of selling the food truck. I told him, that I couldn’t. I built that truck myself, and it was not for sale. So, he asked me if I could build one for him. That was the happiest moment of my life. That next day, I went looking for help for my new project. I hired two workers, and we worked out of that 700 square feet for weeks. It was just enough space to finish my first gourmet food truck. I was excited to deliver it to Armando, the owner of one of Houston’s favorite Tex-Mex restaurants for more than thirty years.
Today, TCB is a certified custom builder in Texas. We are also certified in other states such as California, Washington, Hawaii, New York, and soon we will deliver our products overseas. We stated in 2003 with $4,000 in a 700-square foot shop and have evolved to cover a 20,500-square foot property in the Heights with over $2 million in revenue each year. We have proudly built many famous brands such as: Whole Foods, El Tiempo, Lopez Mexican Kitchen, The Burger Joint, The Waffle Bus, Oh My Gogi and many more from all over the US.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Hardship was a struggle. To walk inside a store and your card gets declined over $2.75 cold sandwich. What would you do? Haha yea just laugh at it and keep going
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Texas cart builder TCB story. Tell us more about the business.
Texas Cart Builder, TCB, is a custom fabricator that specializes in specialty vehicles, responding units, disaster relief trucks, and gourmet food trucks. We are famous for the quality that we provide in each custom inch that we build. I am proud to say that every truck we’ve built since 2003 are all still in business.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Good luck: was my first $4000 I made when I sold my old Jeep.
Good luck was my first food truck I built for myself
Good luck was Armandos
Bad luck was to hear people and some close friends saying that the reason I am doing well is because I am lucky. Oh well thanks but no one knows the struggle and the very hardships I had to go through.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1219 Shepherd Dr
Houston TX 77007 - Website: www.txcartbuilder.com
- Phone: 832-589-4044
- Email: texascartbuilder@gmail.com
- Instagram: Texas cart builder
- Facebook: Texascartbuilder
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
