Student entrepreneur successfully launches family business

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Overview

As a student pursuing a bachelor’s in marketing, Chering-Joi Washington already had an eye for business before she decided to launch her own. After working in a few high-end restaurants and dine-in movie theaters, Washington discovered her interest in the food industry. By her senior year, she had made it a goal to create an enterprise she could call her own before graduating from Prairie View A&M University in May 2023 so she could work for herself rather than someone else. The concept: a new soul food truck that would eventually evolve into a brick-and-mortar, if successful.

Establishing the Family Business

Beyond the marketing knowledge she gained from her studies at PVAMU, Washington already had a name, Chering-Joi of Cuisines, LLC—dba, SoFUL Soul Food—about $95,000 in startup funds, and her parents’ support—so much so that they agreed to join her in her business venture. 

They also had a lot to bring to the table: Her mother graduated from The Art Institute of Houston, where she studied culinary arts. This, coupled with her ample experience cooking for friends and family across multiple regions, put her in a unique position to help Washington develop her food truck’s menu and test and prepare the dishes for optimal taste and presentation. Her father had a background in accounting, so he offered to help with finances and general business management.

Finding the Location

Although Washington had what seemed to be everything she needed to finally launch her business, she still needed to identify a location for her food truck, which turned out to be a bigger hurdle than she anticipated. 

She knew that the PVAMU campus would be an ideal spot to park her food truck, as the demographic and demand for the cuisine were there. However, because the university already had an ongoing contract with a food service provider, she was denied the ability to compete for a vending space. In March 2023, she reached out to PVAMU’s SBDC for assistance in finding alternative lots for her business in the Cypress, TX, area. 

In addition to identifying some potential locations for her food truck, Washington’s advisor assisted her with a business plan template that would help her define her target market and financial projections should she ever need to apply for a business loan or appeal to potential investors. 

Business Outcomes

By February 2024, Washington had a 20-foot trailer and truck to house the business and successfully secured a permanent location to park it. Additionally, she had entered a contract with Cy-Fair ISD to provide food at various district-managed locations, such as the Cy-Fair Sports Association Youth Sports Complex. The business is now also part of the regular rotation at the Pine Hills Food Truck Park near the intersection of Hwy 6 and West Little York Road.

After reviewing their contract with their current food services provider and further discussion, PVAMU had also agreed to host SoFUL Soul Food on campus as a test run for the first quarter of 2024. According to Washington, since the agreement with the university, the entity has earned steady revenue and received much positive student feedback. She and her mother continue to work with the food truck full-time, while her father remains a trusted part-time business manager and accountant. She has also been able to invest an additional $15,000 in the business. The PVAMU SBDC continues to offer assistance as SoFUL Soul Food grows.