Local Food Trucks See Boom in Business During COVID-19 Crisis

My cousin, Jobe Guillory, has always been the cook for family events and get-togethers. He is just a natural, which is why it was no surprise when he became a chef. Culinary is his specialty and food is his passion. The coronavirus impacted everyone in SWLA, the duly employed and business owners alike found themselves financially strapped as the economy came to a screeching halt.

The situation called for some serious resourcefulness if you wanted to survive. Hard times call for creative measures, and those who were able fell back on their hidden talents to make money and stay afloat. Some individuals starting sewing masks, others made hand sanitizer, while many business owners converted to curbside and online shopping. Unfortunately, a lot of retails stores and restaurants took a major hit, and some even closed their doors or filed for bankruptcy. If they weren’t able to switch from dine-in or in-store shopping to take-out/drive-thru/curbside only service, they suffered.

Through the pandemic, the biggest winners have been the fast food chains and local food trucks. For SWLA, the food truck has been a relatively new business that has been on a steady incline in recent years. Shout-out to all the food truck vendors in the area, you all have been wheels to our food here in SWLA. Thank you! Ironically, my cousin Jobe, was already setting his food truck biz, JJ’s Jammin’ Food, in motion. Right around the same time of the outbreak, he launched his new business in March 2020. I remember he and my husband went all the way to Corpus Christi to pick his trailer up.

Thank God Jobe had everything up and running by the time the stay-at-home order went into effect. Because he served food, that made him an essential worker and he was able to continue working. It turned out to be a win-win situation for him and the public. Jobe’s JJ’s Jammin’ Food truck helped him provide for his family and serve the local community with fresh, deliciously prepared food at the same time. He and other food truck owners have become rising stars in these uncertain times.

KPLC news recently did a story on how local food trucks have seen an uptick in business throughout the pandemic. They caught up with my cousin’s truck and interviewed him. Jobe told them stepping out on faith is paying off. Of course, he didn’t hesitate to plug his menu either. Can’t blame him on that. Besides, JJ’s Jammin’ Food truck’s got the best Southern and Creole soul food in the Lake City! Pull up and get a lil sumthin, sumthin today!