Owners of the Pittsburgh food truck The Goodie Truck, Jajean Morgan and Millie Gregor have recently written down their thoughts on the current Occupy Movement that is beginning to get traction across the main-steam media.
These food truck owners met working together at a candy store called The Chocolate Moose, and began day dreaming about owning their own business. They purchased their truck on eBay approximately 4 years ago. After decking their new purchase out in a colorful wrap, they hit the road. These mobile vendors work on their truck year round while changing up their menu seasonally. Like many other food truck operators, they also hold additional jobs to pay their bills.
We are laying our cards out on the table…
We live in a society that always asks “how’s business?” And we’re constantly being expected to say “good”. We’ve decided to be open to exposing our troubles because they are not just ours. They’ve become very common struggles… We’re not in any way looking for sympathy in posting this, and frankly don’t need it. We just want to be a part of the conversation in the truest way, with our own experience. So since you asked – right now? Business is NOT good.
The Goodie Truck along with many many other small businesses are at risk. Similar to how college grads are burdened by huge student loans and simultaneously facing no work, small business is burdened by major debt. Not only that, our survival is dependent on an economy where people are out of work, struggling against low pay, and basically can’t afford to buy much. The Goodie Truck began because two women making minimum wage working at a candy store had big big ideas. You know, “American Dream” type ideas.
Those ideas were quickly scaled way down when big, BAILED OUT banks would not take the risk on us and give us traditional loans. We “manned up”, reconfigured and opted for an even smaller “small business”. We took the only loan options we had: credit cards and risky high interest loans. It’s true that it was our choice, but the option still seemed way better than dauntingly facing an $8/hour life forever. America’s supposed to be about pushing ahead, taking risks, and building things for the future. Subsequently our rates were jacked up exponentially and our borrowing power restricted. That, coupled with an economy where our customers are out of work or make low wages, breeds failure for small businesses. Don’t get us wrong…we are still climbing. We’re fighters, but this isn’t about just us. We are one example of what is happening to many, many people despite ingenuity, hard work, and creative minds.
Something is very wrong with this picture!
Mobile Cuisine Magazine would like to thank Jajean and Millie for allowing us to share their thoughts with our readers, and wish them the best in the future.
You can follow The Goodie Truck on Twitter or Facebook.
