Competition Gives Three Entrepreneurs A Chance To Run Their Own Food Truck

And the winners are… 

Nancy Guerrier, Tywanda Dupont and Clarence Davis. 

The three food aficionados won the Miami-Dade County Food Truck Enterprise Program competition—a free 14-week competition-style course at the Miami Culinary Institute—that affords the winners the opportunity to either lease or purchase a food truck. 

The food trucks, which will be located at the MiamiCentral Brightline station, will be equipped with a griddle, a gas stove with four burners, a refrigerator, a cooler, a conventional oven and two warmers. 

Nearly 30 participants competed for the prize. Each contestant was required to have previous culinary work experience, a business plan for a food truck enterprise and participate in an interview. They were taught personal development, customer service, food sanitation, marketing and how to financially support their business.

Nancy Guerrier

Nancy Guerrier’s passion for cooking was ignited by her father’s cooking and the TV series Iron Chef. Soon after, her dad encouraged her to pursue a career in the culinary field. 

Guerrier began working on the idea to run a food truck business with her dad in 2014, but he passed away last year. 

Now, she will be able to live out their vision.

“I’m still in the moment,” Guerrier said. “This is God’s blessing to me.” 

Guerrier, who has 17 years of culinary experience, has worked as a cook, shift manager, cashier and a food runner at various restaurants and fast-food chains. 

She earned an associate’s degree in hospitality tourism management from Wolfson Campus in 2017. In April, she will complete the chef apprentice program at the campus. 

Guerrier is scheduled to open her food truck business within the next month. It will specialize in Haitian American Cuisine.

Tywanda Dupont

At the age of 14, Tywanda Dupont began baking. She developed a fondness for the craft thanks to her mother. After having kids, Dupont sought to maintain her mother’s penchant for home-cooked meals. When she noticed that her children loved her breakfasts, she began to specialize in creating brunch-like menus and French toast recipes. 

Since then, her culinary repertoire has expanded to include southern cooking and seafood. 

After taking a hospitality management and catering class at William H. Turner Technical Arts High School, Dupont started catering events. She has also worked as a meal prepper.

Dupont is currently enrolled in the chef apprentice program at Wolfson Campus. 

Her food truck—Ty’s Hometown Café and Bistro—will officially open within the next month. The menu will specialize in brunch recipes such as filled French toast, wings and sandwiches. 

“It feels absolutely amazing to witness,” Dupont said. “I’m happy I’m being able to show the world what I’m capable of.”

Clarence Davis

Clarence Davis stepped into the cooking arena when he was eight years old. He recalls hunting for wild deer and bulls with his grandparents and collecting wild plants in the Appalachian Mountains to cook. 

Since then, Davis has continued his culinary journey by specializing in exotic cuisine.

“My thing is not necessarily one type of dish,” Davis said. “I just like to include [flavors] from different places all over the world.”

Davis’ food truck—13 Pirates Eat—will carry a menu that will specialize in serving exotic dishes such as pineapple rice, soft shell crab, alligator tail and blacktip shark. Bikers will also have a specially designated parking space where they can park and eat. 

His food truck is expected to open for business in the next few weeks. 

“I appreciate the opportunity and experience,” Davis said. “It feels good.”

The headshots used in this article are courtesy of Carlos Ortiz.