Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Brown.
Hi Rob, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I spent the first almost 8 years of my adult life in Federal Prison. While incarcerated, it became very clear to me that while I could have made better decisions than the ones that landed me in prison, their is a system in place designed to ensnare young black and brown poor men and women. One that til this very day, is still doing the job it was designed to do. So i began to wonder what would it have taken to keep me from being ensnared. Resources, opportunities, mentors, examples of success that did not involve the “street life”. Once out of prison, I began a community centered career that specialized in outreach, recruitment and connecting people to things they need in order to achieve more in life in positive ways. During that time and most of my life, I knew at some point part of the roll I was in would involve being an entreprenuer. A friend of mind owned a coffee truck. He and I were having this conversation during the pandemic and from that conversation budded the beginnings of Da Sammich Spot. I started off on the back of his coffee truck with a small refrigerator and a couple coolers to hold my food and drinks. From there, I began cooking out of a small house in South Memphis that I had recently moved out of but decided to continue renting for that purpose.
After about 3-6 months of hard hustle, I was able to afford a small food truck. My goal was to provide fresh and healthy options to food deserts in The City of Memphis while connecting people to resources that they needed in their everyday life. I partnered with a couple non profits and other service providers to make sure that those who visited my truck left with great food and some information that could enrich their lives.
From there, I dreamed of having a brick and mortar space that I could do actual programming and invite others with resources to and service to do real programming in.
Last year after leaving The District Connector Program in Shelby County Government, I decided it was time to make that dream a reality. I rented a small space in Orange Mound, 2 mins from where I stay. We have now been open for a little over 4 months.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely has not been smooth.
The main struggle is the how hard it is to find the information needed for small business to get open. With 2 government entities to please, City and County, the lack of readily available, clear steps on how to navigate the 2 has been the biggest struggle.
Another major struggle is maintaining the whole business by myself. From cooking to shopping to admin and finances. A lot of moving pieces and even harder to do when information is not readily and clearly available as I have already spoke on. As we grow, I look forward to hiring and being able to delegate some of the duties but that is also a struggle in itself. I like to maintain control and it is hard for me trust that others will treat what I am trying to build with the respect and reverence that I do.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We specialize in providing great food, exceptional customer server and connecting people to the resources and services that they are in need of.
We offer deli style sandwiches, panini’s and salads along with a few other delicious eateries. One is an exceptionally tasty deep fried wrap that was originally created while I was in the penitentiary.
The thing that sets Da Sammich Spot apart from others is that we intentionally invest in the community that we are asking to invest in us by connecting our customers to resources and opportunities they may need or want. From mentoring to job assistance, we want people to leave our establishment fed well and with a renewed hope for future endeavors. More often than not, business’ set up shop and only take from the communities they are in. We refuse to not help the communities we are in.
That’s also something I am extremely proud to be able to do.
Our brand is great food and community. Come take a load off on a hard day. Or make a good day, better. I am always open to conversation and building. We have games on every table to encourage those who sit in to just let go while here. Chess, in particular, has been a staple in my life and I plan to build out some chess clubs soon also.
We’re not just great food. We are also a resource to enrich the lives of our community. So if you offer resources and services, we want to connect with you. We are also a FREE space for anyone who has resources or services to use for trainings, presentations, info sessions, recruitment, etc,.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is doing the thing/things you set out to do. Setting a goal, working towards it no matter the challenges and getting it done.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dasammichspot.com
- Instagram: da_sammich_spot
- Facebook: Da Sammich Spot
- LinkedIn: Da Sammich Spot
- Twitter: Da Sammich Spot@DaSammichSpot
- Youtube: @DaSammichSpot
- Yelp: Da Sammich Spot
