To some, the Tampa, Florida-based Slap Yo Mama food truck may seem like an overnight success, but the owners, brothers Darryl and Desmond Madison, paint a different picture. The two gave Atlanta Black Star an exclusive look at what it took for them to get their truck up and running.
“We opened it initially, right before COVID-19 hit,” explained co-owner Darryl Madison. “When those stay-at-home orders went into effect we just assumed it would be bad for business.”
The pair spent $40,000 to get the truck custom made with their Florida-inspired design and all that’s needed to run a proper, up-to-code food truck in the state of Florida.
“We didn’t know what to expect, but people started coming,” said Darryl Madison.
The brothers have made their investment back in less than six months, and now plan to open their first restaurant.
“It’s about keeping the black dollar in the neighborhood now,” said Desmond Madison. “Black communities [tell] us we have to go work for someone else, but we’re the trendsetters.”
The food truck industry brings in one billion dollars a year, according to the U.S Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns program, and these two men are going after their piece of the pie.
“Generational wealth is very important,” explained Desmond Madison. “There’s not enough information out there to let Blacks know it’s possible to be our own boss.” They added that their family serves as their biggest motivation.
“My son already knows what he owns, so that changes his whole mind when he’s in school and they’re trying to teach him about Black History Month,” said Desmond Madison, as excited customers piled into the parking lot where the Slap Yo Mama Food truck is located.
The Madison men told Atlanta Black Star that they equate generational wealth with freedom, adding that more Black families should invest in their own bloodlines.
The men are set to open up their first family restaurant. They received the keys to the space in October and plan to completely remodel.
“Hard work always pays off,” said their mom, Mimi Madison. “Always give 100 percent to yourself, not society.”
If you’d like to learn more about the Madison men, go to: https://slapyomamafood.com/.
