Meet Laura Ann Hart | Entrepreneur, M.S.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Ann Hart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura Ann, how do you think about risk?
Risk is a part of my life and honestly, I would not have it any other way. The old saying, “no risk no reward” is a statement I have seen come true time and time again. I grew up with a father who is an entrepreneur. He is in his early 80’s and still goes to his office four time a week. I have not really known anything else. When it came time for me to go out into the world and get a “big girl” job I realized quickly that I my heart wasn’t into working for someone else. I wanted to forge my own path, like my dad did, and see what great things were going to happen. Over the decades I have had many businesses. Some were successful and some were not, but I continued to push forward trying to find the path that worked for me.  I have no problem “jumping off the bridge” into a new adventure and honestly, I am always excited to see what happens. The biggest risk my husband and I took was when he left his job of 25 years in corporate America to open a restaurant in 2013.  We “hopped on” the franchise bandwagon in search of a life that would give us financial freedom and an opportunity to build a business together. Everything we had saved went into the restaurant and for the next 8 years it was our life. 

About two years into the process, the business wasn’t growing, and we quickly realized what a bad idea it was to open this type of restaurant. In theory grilled cheese sounds great for a fast casual concept but in practice, not so much.  With everything we had tied up into the restaurant our only choice was to stay the course. Around the fifth-year mark we made the decision to purchase our first food truck and take the brand mobile. Over the next three years, the food truck made enough money to support the restaurant.  But at the end of the day, we were still bleeding money from lack of sales in the store. As they say, “you can only rob Peter to pay Paul” so many times before the coffers are empty.  

When covid hit and we had to shut our dining room down, it was our food trucks that kept the business going. In 90 days, we served over 120 communities in our area who were also on lock-down. Like everyone else in the food service business, we had to pivot and decide what direction to go for the health of the company. At the end of 2021 Eric and I closed the restaurant and became a food truck only business.  (In 2020, we launched our 2nd food truck, Gaston Street Eats. A southern comfort fusion truck focusing on flavors of the south that I grew up with).  It was a huge risk for us to break away from the franchise and change our model to a food truck only concept.  Our original thoughts were, if it worked, we would have the opportunity to build the kind of business that we always wanted. A business built around the desire to bring “JOY” to others with our food truck experiences. Gaston Street Eats Co. is officially a little over three years old and we have the most incredible team who is dedicated to our mission to serve others and provide a 1st class experience to all those we meet.  

To date, we have two full-service food trucks in operation, The Cheezy Truck, a gourmet grilled cheese & patty melt concept, and Gaston Street Eats Food Truck. In 2023, we served over 60,000 people across Georgia. We are in the process of building out our third food truck and hope to launch by spring of 2024.  

Taking risks isn’t for everyone, but life is short, and we only have so many opportunities to build a life we are proud of. Risk is part of it, and it might surprise you after taking a huge leap of faith that you wake up one day living your dream.

What should our readers know about your business?
When Eric and I started our food truck business we made a conscience decision to do it differently.  In our humble opinion, hiring a food truck is an experience; It is in investment into a “moment” for your friends, family, co-workers, guests, and it is our job to bring the “JOY” to our clients through our food and customer service.  

Our professional food truck team is trained to give all our clients and their guests a “wow moment” they will remember fondly as time goes on.  We invest and teach a leadership development program that all staff members participate in. The program is designed to give our team the skills they need to take care of our clients and each other.  Best part of the program is it provides a safe environment for our team to learn from each other’s experiences, make mistakes, and opportunities to think outside of the box on how to handle problems or difficult situations.  The ideas our staff has come up over the years can be seen first-hand in our processes, procedures, and customer experience. I personally learn something new every time we meet to go over our latest book assignment. The program is in its third year and has been wildly successful for building confidence levels, customer service skills, communication, and increasing employee retention rates. 

The second thing we do differently is our food. We have a full catering kitchen where we prep and cook our ingredients we use for both trucks. From slicing cheese and roasting our meats for The Cheezy Truck, to our handmade grit cakes for Gaston, our kitchen is a force that is second to none.  Having our own commercial kitchen gives us the opportunity to service all kinds of events from 50+ people to groups of 1000 or more. Our space gives us the opportunity to expand our menu offerings and test new recipes before we go public and share with our clients.  Our goal is to serve outstanding cuisine whether it is a grilled cheese sandwich or bourbon chicken with fried gouda grit cakes. We want our clients to walk away saying “Oh my, that was amazing!”  

On a side note, it is incredibly important to us that “all” guests can enjoy a meal at our trucks. Prior to completing the booking process for one of our trucks, we ask if there are any dietary issues we need to know about.  This gives us an opportunity to adjust the menu or have special items available for guests who need special accommodations. Both menus include items for those who are vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and meat eaters. Everyone should have the opportunity to be part of the food truck experience. 

Lastly, we believe in taking care of our community. It is our job to be responsible business owners and give back to others. Part of this responsibility is donating our time and resources to charity and those in need.  Eric and I want to pass on a “servant leadership” mentality to all our staff so they in turn can continue giving back to their communities for the rest of their lives. LOVE, SERVE, CARE is the foundation of all we do.

When people see our food trucks on the road, I want them to associate us with the following key words; 

Joy
1st Class Service
Outstanding Food
Something for Everyone
Easy to work with
A business who cares
Servant Leaders

Everyday is a new day in the food truck industry. We have the greatest job on earth. We get to show up where people are in their lives and feed them. Spreading “JOY” is what we are about and feeding people is how we accomplish this mission.  No, it’s not easy and some days are harder than others, but we keep moving forward. The key is to “do what is right and take care of others the way we would want to be taken care of.”

When Covid first hit, I opened my email that first week saw a flood of cancelations. Parties we had on the books for months were canceled. These clients all paid a 25% nonrefundable deposit for us to hold the date for their event. We had a decision to make, stick with the policy or give the money back. We gave all the deposits back.  It was one of the hardest things for us to do especially when we didn’t have any money coming in, but we did it anyway. It is what we would want someone to do for us in these circumstances. 

Right now, our biggest challenge is placing the final bricks in our foundation to poise us for future growth. This includes hiring more staff for our third food truck and automating some of our back-end systems. Every day we move one step closer to building the type of business we could only dream of three years ago. We have great faith that God will provide and see us through to amazing heights.

Two years after Covid began, we are stronger than ever, and I believe it is because of the decisions made early on to be different. 

What am I proud of? My team, my business partner, and what we have accomplished together.  I am thankful for the opportunity to grow as a business leader and have resources in my community that help me to be better.  What I realized during Covid is no one is an “island of one.” It was everyone pulling together sharing resources and information that brought us through. The Cobb Chamber of Commerce, local churches, schools, business owners, law enforcement, community, and numerous organizations that came together to ask “what can we do to help” that made the difference for us and so many others. 

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Broadway show at the Fox Theater or if none was available, a tour of the Fox. Dinner at Appalachian Grill – Cartersville
Night life at The Battery for drinks & food
Dallas or Duluth Food Truck Friday
High Muesum of Art
SCAD Fashion Exhibit
Lazy Guy Distillery in Kennesaw for cocktails
Breakfast at Doug’s in Emerson
Concert night at Marietta Square
Chalktober Fest at Marietta Square

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My father, Charles Rollins, the ultimate entrepreneur who always believed in my ability to build a company that encompasses my passion and dreams for an amazing life and the opportunity to help others find achieve their dreams.

My husband, Eric Hart. His unwavering support throughout my many business adventures. He has given me the greatest gift ever, time. TIme to figure out what my purpose is while supporting, encouraging, and providing wisdom to help me be the best version of me possible.

Website: www.thecheezytruck.com / www.gastonstreeteatsfoodtruck.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gastonstreeteats/ / https://www.instagram.com/thecheezytruck/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-ann-hart-ms-40570031/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheezytruck / https://www.facebook.com/gastonstreeteatsfoodtruck