Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronnie Munoz.
Ronnie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started cooking at a young age with my aunt. When she would babysit my younger brother and I, she would have me pick out a recipe from a very old family style cookbook and we would make that dish from scratch. I can’t exactly pinpoint the exact moment I decided to be a chef. But the more I reflect on my upbringing the more it makes sense that I took on cooking. I’ve been cooking professionally for eight years at mostly upscale restaurants and have learned from great chefs that have shown me how to be a good cook and more importantly how to have a great sense of integrity with my food. So when I decided to open a food stand with the help of my family it made sense that we offer something we all truly believed to be great food. And that’s how Ronnie’s Kickin’ came to fruition.
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?
Like with all great things there are a lot of sacrifices. But feeding the community I live in and seeing people happy to eat my food makes it all worth it.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Ronnie’s Kickin is a food stand that sells fried foods. We’re most well known for our fried chicken sandwiches but also have fried wings and nuggets on the menu. We have also played with fried Italian Porchetta and a fried eggplant sandwich. We’re most proud of being able to serve as many guests as we do in such a limited space and still be able to make almost everything from scratch (we buy our buns from Larder Bakery).
Who else deserves credit – have you had mentors, supporters, cheerleaders, advocates, clients or teammates that have played a big role in your success or the success of the business? If so – who are they and what role did they plan / how did they help.
My sous chef Jose Gamboa who has been with me from the start and has been crushing it nonstop. My mentor, Chef Greg Bernhardt who taught me how to be a great cook and to always hold myself accountable—to do everything with the highest level of integrity. My best friends, Chefs Dom Miller and Erick Corona for helping me at the stand when I needed it. Most importantly, my older brother Juan for helping provide the platform to deliver my food to our community.
Pricing:
- $11 Chicken Sandwich With Fries
- $10 Jumbo Wings
- $2 Aguas Fresca
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Ronnies_Kickin
- Twitter: Twitter.com/Ronnies_kickin
Image Credit:
Christian Alberto
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