Branding is Everything: How to Build a Food Truck Empire with Who Wants to be a Millionaire Winner Josh Gatewood

06-06-2023 • 29 mins

In this captivating episode of the #localbites podcast, we delve into the inspiring story of Josh Gatewood, the founder of Yankee Doodle Dandy's Food Trucks. Join us as we explore Josh's remarkable path from a finance hopeful to becoming the face of New York City's thriving food truck scene.Josh's journey began during his college years in the South, where he developed an unwavering passion for exceptional fried chicken. However, fate had a different plan in mind for him. In 2012, after moving to the bustling streets of New York City to pursue a career in finance, Josh realized that he yearned for something more fulfilling than being the next "wolf of Wall Street."

With determination and a penchant for entrepreneurship, Josh hatched the idea for Yankee Doodle Dandy's Food Trucks right from his Wall Street office. However, he faced a major hurdle: funding. Undeterred, Josh took a leap of faith and decided to use the money he had won from the renowned game show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", as the capital to bring his dream to life. In 2013, Josh opened the doors of his first food truck, serving up mouthwatering southern fried chicken that took the streets of NYC by storm. Through a big rebranding, word started spreading about the delectable flavors and unique concept of Yankee Doodle Dandy's, solidifying their place as a culinary sensation in the city.

Today, Josh oversees a fleet of three food trucks, and his vision has led him to become the president of the prestigious New York City Food Truck Association. In this episode, we uncover the secrets behind Josh's success, his innovative marketing strategies, and how he navigated the challenges of scaling his business in a competitive industry. Tune in to this episode of "#localbites to discover the empowering story of a young entrepreneur who turned his passion into a flourishing food empire, proving that with a little audacity and a lot of determination, dreams can become reality.

[00:00] Show intro

[00:35] Background on Josh and Yankee Doodle Dandy’s Food Trucks

[01:36] Pivoting from a brick and mortar store to a food truck

[02:52] What makes Yankee Doodle Dandy so unique?

[04:30] From one truck to three: changing the momentum

[06:20] The biggest challenges and how Josh overcame them

[08:40] Rebranding the food trucks to create a story

[13:20] Location, location, location

[15:30] What change did Josh make to double his revenue

[17:23] Promotional and marketing tactics

[19:12] How “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” affected the business

[21:34] Building a loyal customer base