Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Quezada.
Hi Daniel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I will always been facinated by language and culture, different kinds of people with their likes and beliefs. When I was 18 I took a solo trip throughout western Europe and I realized that food is what really brought people together; despite their origins or ancestry. So after working for over 10 years in the hospitality indrustry I decided to take the chance and create something that would benefit us all, not only in terms of good food but merely about truly good food, good for you. I was upset and tired of working in places that the main driving factor was profit and not the integrity of aliments. So yeah, we started small, just me cooking and my wife at the time helping me prep and taking orders. It was a rough trip for the first couple of years but we managed to stay afloat (I’m just very stubborn) even when people didn’t really want “healthy” food. 12 years later we’ve expanded and consolidated in the area. after many years applying for NASA we finally got selected to cater their worforce. We now have a permanent position serving breakfast and lunch inside JSC – we are the first and only plant-based restaurant to be contracted in a federal building. We’re now even closer to fulfilling one of my dreams (commercialize space ready food for deep space missions) in collaboration with the Artemis Program, our super foods are not space ready yet but we’re on track. We still serve “the norm”, what food should be; delicious, healthy, but certainly invigorating. And we don’t plan to change that one bit.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The main struggle that still persists is the lack of knowledge of the population. We are still centered in a protein high diets with heavy animal meat intake. The real problem is the lack of fiber, not protein – we more than enough of it on a dialy basis. The U.S. has the highest rate of cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, and diabetes worldwide. It’s not a casuality since the American diet centers around heavy meat meals and heavily processed foods. So basically, this is it. This struggle is here to stay unless we change our cultural behavior around the way we produce and consume food.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Moxart stands for Modern Exhibits of Art. We started the company in 2010, and we started doing remodeling of offices, where we only used biodegradable and recycled materials, from concrete to metal, with modern aesthetics and ergonomic designs. We also did landscaping arrangements, where we planned gardens to grow local vegetation so it can be more sustaintable. And lastly, we enter into the restaurant business; same practices but in food, sustaintable, ecological, avantgarde.
What does success mean to you?
I define success by realizing I can help change people lives. When I decided to continue with this venture despite its ups and downs and I came to realize that I love what I do and wouldn’t change it for anything. Helping others, change their lifestyle, and their views about the world is something that brings me joy and peace. I plan to keep it going for as long as I can. Success is doing what I do without the thought of having to work, while I have plenty of time to be at home with my family. True freedom.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nokturne.world
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/nokturne.world
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/enokturne
- Yelp: https://yelp.com/biz/nokturne-houston-3
