Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Derby.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started as a dishwasher when I was 16 years old at Walt’s BBQ. I had my first daughter on the way, so I had to find a job asap, even though I was still in high school. Luckily Walt Bohn owner of Walt’s BBQ, took me in under his wings and showed me what hard work really was. I was going to school during the day and washing dishes at nighttime. Soon after, I jumped on the line, and that’s when I fell in love with cooking. Walt showed me how to work hard and do BBQ right. After 10 years of working under Walt, I decided I wanted to expand my cooking skills and packed up and moved to San Diego and worked under a few great chefs that taught me fine dining techniques. Unfortunately, that only lasted 2 years because California was way more expensive than I ever imagined so I packed up and moved back to Cincinnati I was still struggling and seeing my beautiful kids go without a lot of things. So, one day I woke up and said to myself enough is enough, and I’m going to do something to make sure my kids have everything they deserve that day, I created my brand Triple Js Catering & Delivery. I only had three kids at the time which all three names started with J, so I created Triple Js in honor of them. Still needing a full-time job to pay the bills, I started working at Pappadeaux seafood kitchen. There I started off on the blackening station and soon moved up to lead trainer and lead chef that ran the entire line. There my General manager Robert Montgomery took me under his guidance and taught me how to manage my team at a very fast pace while still putting out beautiful plates. I worked at Pappadeaux for over eight years and lost sight of my brand, but then in 2018, me and my wife Imelda decided to take matters into our own hands and revive Triple Js. So, while still working 50-60 hours a week at Pappadeaux we started our deliveries on the weekends and my days off and signed up for as many festivals as we could, and taking as many catering jobs as we could. Finally, in 2019, I met my third mentor Liz Rodgers, and she also took me under her guidance and showed me how to really take my catering to the next level and to show my food and talents to a lot of important names and celebrities. 2019 was also the year my dream of owning a food truck came true and ever since Triple Js BBQ, Catering & Delivery has been putting smiles on a lot of people’s faces with the love and passion through our food. Also now looking forward to opening our next brand PapiZo’s Tacos.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been far from a smooth road. Trying to raise a family and be the best man I can be while focusing on your business is tough but not impossible. As all entrepreneurs will tell you, keeping family and business afloat at the same time is one of the hardest things to manage. Fortunately for me I have a strong support system who is with me. My wife, kids, mother and my brothers and sisters all step up when it’s time. Definitely could not do this without them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Triple Js BBQ, Catering & Delivery is a family owned and ran company created to put smiles on our customers’ faces. I created this brand to express my love for cooking. Every plate that I create comes from the heart, and I’m pretty sure you can taste it too. We are a catering and delivery company. We have partnered with Prime sports lounge located at 6040 Colerain Ave Cincinnati Ohio 45239. They take care of the lounge part, and we take care of all your foodie needs. We specialize in BBQ, but we are not limited to just that. One day you might see tacos, and another day you might see Cajun Chicken Alfredo on the menu. With my background, our customers come to us with all sorts of menu suggestions for their events and we execute them every time. One of our most popular is our brunch menu. I think that’s what sets us apart from others in the restaurant industry because you can get any and everything from us from BBQ to shrimp and grits to tacos; there really isn’t anything we can’t do. We are working hard on getting our award-winning BBQ sauce in store as soon as possible.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was mainly by myself. I was the quiet and shy kid who stayed to himself and had only a few people in my circle of friends. But I was also the basketball player, always outside and on the court.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thetriplejbarbq.com
- Instagram: Derby.shawn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/triplejscatering2018/
- Other: Triple js catering and delivery @ chownow
