Today we’d like to introduce you to Kali Muhammad.
Hi Kali, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My business is Sweetpea’s Catering LLC. We are a small black-owned catering company based in Dayton, OH. We operate a food truck known as Slide Thru by Sweetpea’s Catering. I graduated from Sinclair College with my associate’s degree in hospitality management & culinary arts. At Slide Thru, our purpose is rooted in a simple principle: Do for others as you want done unto you. We practice this by supplying our clients with top-tier service for a reasonable price. We aim to please our customers to the highest extent while not “breaking the bank.” Our biggest challenge was being a new small business in a very competitive field during the height of the pandemic. We started operations on August 2nd, 2020 which was a very trying time for the food industry. As the owner, I was laid off from my full-time job as a chef when the pandemic started, so trying to start a business and fund everything was very difficult at the time. Before I started my business, I did meal prep for friends and family to keep myself afloat. It was during that time that I got the motivation and vision to start my food truck and work toward a restaurant. Without the help and support of my community, I wouldn’t be where I am now. The true pride in my business comes from being able to serve our customers good food made from all-natural, gourmet ingredients. Knowing that there is a health crisis in the United States, we make it our goal to supply fresh, natural, gourmet ingredients to our customers. We believe food unites all of us at the end of the day. We all have to eat, so we want to achieve part of that unity through fresh food and exposure or different cultures.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been anything but a smooth road, which is okay! I personally believe if the road is too smooth then you never learn how to prep yourself for the ride. Some struggles I’ve had during my journey have been nothing short of a learning experience. From financial issues to mental health and even operational issues. Life doesn’t stop when you start a business. Your personal and family life are just as important if not more. So, trying to manage a balance between the two has been a tough journey, but I’m learning more and more every day.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Slide Thru food truck is your one-stop shop for Dayton’s best sliders, loaded fries, and finger foods. Our purpose is rooted in a simple principle: Do for others as you want done unto you. We practice this by supplying our clients with top-tier service for a reasonable price. We aim to please our customers to the highest extent while not “breaking the bank.” At Slide Thru, we believe that food is the barrier breaker between other cultures. Not everyone can afford to travel to exotic places and try different things. We aim to give you that experience through our food. Every culture on the planet has a significance. Every culture has foods that are important to their lifestyle, and we want to see these cultural staples expressed in our menu. Using unique flavors, we can bring these diversely beautiful cultures to our city. With our sliders, we aim to promote diversity, inclusion, and respect for all walks of life. At Slide Thru, we serve a modern twist on classic sandwiches in the form of sliders. Our best-selling slider is “Da’ Fresh Prince.” This slider is a Philly cheesesteak with fresh cut peppers and onions, topped with provolone cheese and served on a locally baked potato bun. We have several other signature sliders such as The Flippin Birdy (chicken, candied turkey bacon, ranch), The Buff’ Chick (chicken, buffalo sauce, Monterey Jack), and The Black Betty (southwest black bean patty, fresh pico de gallo, vegan avocado ranch, crispy tortilla strips). I want folks to know that true love and passion goes into the food we prepare for you. As a chef, I am dedicated to the process of preparing every ingredient. From brining the chicken, we use in our sandwiches to slow cooking and braising beef that we use in our specialty sliders. My staff has the same passion when prepping ingredients for our food. Their love, time, and focus goes into the process just as mine does. We aim to supply a simple, quickly served, delicious product that has been prepared with true culinary craft. Not only do I love my business and staff, but I love my customers. And I want to continue to bring people together through food as much as I can.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
My favorite childhood memories consist of baking fresh bread rolls with my mother and cooking meals for the family with my grandmother and grandfather. These memories are served with a side of nostalgia every time I smell the foods I used to cook with them.
Pricing:
- Sliders are $3.50 each or mix & match any 3 for $10
- French fries are $2.89
- Arancini (fried risotto balls) are $6
- Loaded fries are $10 (choose any slider flavor on your fry)
- Beignet bites are $6
Contact Info:
- Website: https://slidethrudayton.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slidethrudayton/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slidethrudayton/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/slidethrudayton
Image Credits
DP Zoomz Photography
