One day last year Chris Chen ’08 was making a snack in his kitchen using whole grain bread and Nutella when his roommate Jerome Chang — a former pastry sous chef at Le Cirque — embellished it with sea salt and caramelized bananas. Suddenly Chris was struck with an idea — selling gourmet desserts out of a truck. “The snack seemed reminiscent of street food,” he said. “That’s how this all started.”
The two then wrote a business plan for a truck that would sell freshly made gourmet desserts like crème brûlée and molten chocolate cake on the street. After receiving a small-business loan, Chris and Jerome began building their business.
“There were some things we didn’t foresee,”said Chris, including the hassle of getting a mobile food vendor permit. “Once you start a business, the business plan goes out the window.”
But on Halloween this past year, his full-fledged idea — the Dessert Truck — premiered on a Greenwich Village street. It was an immediate hit.
In addition to being the co-founder and managing partner, Chris works the truck at night, while Jerome makes desserts during the day. “Every day is a different experience,” he said.
Chris is also in his last semester as an MBA. When asked to give a piece of advice for future entrepreneurs, he offered this: “Take your best estimate for working capital and double it. Because that’s what you’re really going to need.”
The Dessert Truck can be found after 6 p.m. on University Place at 8th Street, and is offering a Valentine’s Day special: winter fruit mousse cake and a package of chocolate mendiants for $8.
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The two then wrote a business plan for a truck that would sell freshly made gourmet desserts like crème brûlée and molten chocolate cake on the street. After receiving a small-business loan, Chris and Jerome began building their business.
“There were some things we didn’t foresee,”said Chris, including the hassle of getting a mobile food vendor permit. “Once you start a business, the business plan goes out the window.”
But on Halloween this past year, his full-fledged idea — the Dessert Truck — premiered on a Greenwich Village street. It was an immediate hit.
In addition to being the co-founder and managing partner, Chris works the truck at night, while Jerome makes desserts during the day. “Every day is a different experience,” he said.
Chris is also in his last semester as an MBA. When asked to give a piece of advice for future entrepreneurs, he offered this: “Take your best estimate for working capital and double it. Because that’s what you’re really going to need.”
The Dessert Truck can be found after 6 p.m. on University Place at 8th Street, and is offering a Valentine’s Day special: winter fruit mousse cake and a package of chocolate mendiants for $8.
More...