Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Hunt.
Danielle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Since I learned how to cook from my mom, I realized that I was pretty good at it. I started cooking our family dinners and by eighth grade through high school, I was took over dinner about half the time if not more. I fell in love with the culinary process and it felt therapeutic to be in the kitchen creating new dishes and trying new flavors. I started watching Cooking Channel‘s and getting cookbooks and then decided I wanted my own restaurant. Never made it to culinary school but I’ve always wanted to learn the craft. Around 2017, I started to learn more about what we put in our bodies and started making changes to what I was eating and preparing for myself and started incorporating vegan dishes. Fast forward to 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I dedicated myself even more to the vegan lifestyle and made the decision To make my restaurant dream into a vegan restaurant. So I created squash it LLC and decided to sign up for a vending event having no equipment, not knowing what health requirements I needed to abide by but I found out everything I needed and here I am now, with my canopy doing pop up events and currently working on my business plan to get funding for my food truck and restaurant.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The main struggle in the beginning was finding help, not knowing the volume of crowd attendance at these events, and just setting up everything alone. As I did more events, I got more comfortable with working alone and I got more organized so now the main struggle will be adapting to any Covid-19 requirements or restrictions.
We’ve been impressed with Squash it!, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Since I am a self-proclaimed chef, because I lack schooling or professional training, I’d like to call my dishes more of an art form. I am also a singer-songwriter and I have to find the right words with the right syllables, the right notes with the right tempo and melodies to all fit together, and food works the same way with flavors and textures, and we can’t forget about the presentation. As far as what I’m known for, it would be my potato tacos. But overall, I would like to be known for being 100% gluten-free & soy-free and having the most presentable and welcoming tent when vending.
I am most proud of the fact that I’m able to get what I need for now, on my own. I designed my website using a template but of course making it my own with added features, designed my own business cards, promo flyers, and event banners. Even when experiencing some losses and unexpected turn of events, I still remained headstrong and determined to keep my business afloat.
What sets me apart is not only the fact that I’m taking out the gluten and soy and giving you real food, but I’m also giving you an experience with my decor. I dress my tent with greenery and flowers, with lights and candles to welcome curious minds into my space. It’s quality all around. And the same quality and ambiance will surely transfer to my food truck and restaurant.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love most that I’m in an area that a lot of people have either already made a vegan lifestyle change or are in transition of that change, or that there are people even open-minded to just try something vegan even if they don’t plan on giving up meat. There is nothing in particular that I can say that’s unfavorable about LA but when I’m doing different events, it’s hard to gauge what the volume of attendees will be because some events may not do enough marketing.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Squashitla.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/niellewroteit?utm_medium=copy_link
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Squashitmeals
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/MGMm1j3gZjb
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/sk12g127ZmApDicY9
