Today we’d like to introduce you to DaJohn.
DaJohn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was given an opportunity to cook enchiladas for a friend of mine because she already knew that I had cooking experience and had tried them before. From that opportunity, she informed me that there were a lot of inquiries about making the enchiladas for other people. Before I knew it, I was booked every weekend for about two months. That’s when I realized that people were enjoying the food and that I could start a business. I didn’t want to continue making basic enchiladas. I wanted to create conversation by adding something different that you don’t normally see. I came up with the idea of adding wild caught jumbo shrimp, fresh main lobster tails, and Alaskan king crab legs to top off the enchiladas. As of today, I’m booked for a variety of events, such as baby showers, birthday parties, and cooking at L.A Lounge Inglewood every Thursday and Friday. I am also attending weekly vendor markets, where I am pushing out 60-80 plates.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The first obstacle I experienced was being hired to cater to 200 children and staff at LaTijera Elementary. This was my first time cooking for 200 people and I was only two months into starting Dlo’s Kitchen. At this time, I wasn’t sufficiently staffed but by the grace of God, I made it happen.
Please tell us about D Lo’s kitchen.
Dlo’s Kitchen provides a service that stands by providing fresh, non-farmed raised, wild-caught seafood and meat. We are known for our mouth-watering enchiladas, topped with sauteed shrimp.
I am most proud of being a boss that stands on my own two, being able to employ people and guarantee that my employees eat.
I believe that what sets DLo’s Kitchen apart from the rest is that three months in, there was already a conversation about how good the food was. This landed me at L.A Lounge every Thursday and Friday night. To my knowledge, no catering company has not accomplished what I have so fast.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
To be honest, I wouldn’t do anything differently. The journey so far has been a great experience along with a few small struggles; but not that would make me want to do anything differently. I’m grateful for the feedback and advice that I receive from people and if I see a fit for it, I will incorporate it into the business.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 3233597746
- Email: [email protected]
Getting in touch: VoyageLA 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.
