The Scoop with Tanya Flanagan

Unknown Speaker 0:00
This is a KU envy studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Unknown Speaker 0:19
Good morning, and thank you for joining me for the scoop with Tanya flat again. I'm so happy you decided to wake up and start your day with me. Here on the scoop, where we talk about life, joy, funny moments, trending topics, and so much more. We promise to keep you in the know and find out what you know. So let's get started.

Unknown Speaker 0:46
Good morning, Las Vegas and welcome to Sunday. It's the final Sunday of the month of March. We are in Spring Spring has sprung. It's also Easter. So happy resurrection day to those of you out there. And it is the final Sunday of women's history month and this month I have focused on women's history and interesting females in the Las Vegas community, talking with them about their accomplishments and their journeys in life. This morning, I have another great person in the studio with me who's gotten up early and decided to join me to share her story. I am pleased to welcome Joy Jones coffee to the scoop with me. Tiny Flanagan. Hi, Joy.

Unknown Speaker 1:27
Hi, good morning, Sonya. Thank you for having me.

Unknown Speaker 1:30
Thank you for waking up early on this Resurrection Sunday to have a conversation before you head out to do whatever you might be doing today. In celebration, usually we spend this day with family. So I don't know what kind of plans you have. But I am exactly that wonder for you. Well, we are talking today. Do I you created are the founder of a food truck that moves around the city blessing people with delicious taste and treats. Chicago style. It's called enjoy Chicago style. And it's your food truck. And I thought it would just be cool to talk about what it takes to go into business like this to be successful. So what was your motivation? Where did the idea come from to have a food truck? Have you ever done a restaurant in the past?

Unknown Speaker 2:19
I have only ever done short order for a restaurant out of Chicago. But the food was really good. And I got to Vegas. I've been in Las Vegas for over 20 years now. But at the time, it was coming up to 20 years. And I couldn't find the food I wanted anywhere. Every time I would go home for vacation, I would just eat and people would play Why do you always come home and all you want to do is eat. And I said because as fabulous as Las Vegas is. And as wonderful as their food experiences are. They're not Chicago, it's not home. So I just kept missing it missing it. And so it came a point where I decided you know, I'm a pretty good cook anyway. I've been cooking in catering for years. But what I really wanted to do was to bring some of that Chicago style to Las Vegas for those of us who are transplanted here and are doing the same thing missing the food and just want to go home and get some.

Unknown Speaker 3:16
So I have to I have to find out because I've been to Chicago a few times before I've even gone to Chicago during the Taste of Chicago. I spent one of my birthday that was how I kicked off July is my birthday month. So I kicked off my birthday month in Chicago for the Taste of Chicago, which happens around the weekend, the Fourth of July weekend. And I mean, there were so many food choices at the Taste of Chicago. First of all, we ended up doing Mediterranean trying some Greek and then later on that day, my best friend and I went we snuck out of it. And we went into a deep dish Chicago style pizza. But I want to ask you what is your favorite? And I had the pleasure of having your food truck at an event with me about a week ago. And so I want to know what what is your favorite dish?

Unknown Speaker 4:07
Well, my favorite dish is one that I actually created myself. It's called well I didn't I didn't name it. Okay, it's a it's a pizza puff. And let me tell you a little bit about that. In Chicago, you can walk into any corner store you know and you're gonna find good foods like the the you know, the Italian beef sandwiches or the polish is or a hoagie or a submarine sandwich we're known for those are pork chop sandwich even. And on the side Items menu next to the onion rings or the french fries or the mushrooms that are deep fried. You're gonna find a pizza Puff the pizza buff is what we used to guys to consider it struggle food because it was one of the cheaper items on the menu. And it was always just you know, tasty just enough to fill you up when you didn't Have a lot of money to get something big. But when I got here, I could not find them anywhere. And so I did a little research and found out that they were always frozen, and that I could have them shipped at any time. That wasn't good enough for me. I wanted this same thing, but I wanted it in variations that I couldn't get anywhere else. So I started creating them myself. And that's what makes it my favorite. So I make pizza plus now it starts with a pastry. And then you build it like a pizza. And then you fold it over and deep fry it.

Unknown Speaker 5:34
So you can take this pastry input, whatever your favorite pizza ingredient is inside. So if you're a pineapple, I think in chicken or something person, or if you're a person who wants a Mediterranean pizza, but you did too deep fried so you want the marinated chicken, kalamata olives, red onions, and a I don't know, a white is their sauce until like a white Alfredo, or the red sauce is deep fried into it as well? Or is the sauce something that you dip on the side once you've done once you deep Friday you did with the pizza sauce?

Unknown Speaker 6:11
No, the idea is to make your own pizza. I've narrowed it down to just a few combinations that are that are that are spectacular. So I start with a game I build the pastry, just like a pizza. It starts with a pizza sauce. And then I tap this with, I'll tell you my choices. I did have a pepperoni, which also includes like a meat sauce. I have a ham and pineapple. I have a spinach and mushroom. I have one that I make with chicken alfredo. And I have one that I make with Cheesesteak. Now that I've built this pizza into a nice little pocket, I will fold it over and deep fry it, it's always fresh. Now I can pre fabricate these items in the kitchen in the safe kitchen. But when you come to the truck, and you order one of those pizza plus now I'm going to deep fry it and hand it to you hot and fresh. It sounds spectacular because you're not going to find these in Chicago, I wasn't able to get any of those combinations when I was in Chicago, that creation just kind of I was just blessed with that idea one day. And then I decided you know what, let's just do it and see what happens. And the people liked it. It sounds like they came back.

Unknown Speaker 7:30
I will come back and I will keep coming back for that. It sounds delicious. I didn't get a chance. When I did have the pleasure of visiting your truck. I did not try the pizza puff. But the next time that I am out and about or we're somewhere and you are on the scene, I'm going to make sure I have one of those. Now that you have, I think are they if they're if they're not super large, or I can do a combo, what I'm going to do is we're going to have plan and I'm going to bring someone with me. And then we're going to share them so we can get multiple types. And we can try different flavors because I want pepperoni. And then I want the chicken alfredo. And although the spinach and mushroom sounds good, I don't eat mushrooms because they don't like me as much as everyone likes them. So while I would love the healthy vegetarian, well, minus the frying part, they did the tricky myself and to believe I'm being helping. I'd want that one. But I don't I don't eat mushrooms. Now I want to share with you when I saw your menu, what caught my eye because I always love in in the first day of America's favorite game kicked off just the other day. And so when I was at your truck, the thing that I wanted and thought I wanted at least was the polish is a Polish beef sausage that you do with peppers and onions. Yes,

Unknown Speaker 8:53
yes. Now it's a it's a Maxwell Street polish. You know, it used to have another name back in the day, but it's politically incorrect to use that verbiage now, but this place was located on Maxwell Street, and you could go down there and you could get a polish from a cart like a hotdog cart. There would be several different vendors out there. And they'd always have these polishes on a on a poppy seed bun. And they would slather the mustard on the bone. Put this all these Polish right there in the center, and then top it with grilled onions and sport peppers. I remember a time when I worked downtown Chicago I used to work in the CNA building, and I would catch a cab down to the pier because they would always have that cart down there. And I will catch a cab just to go down there and get polishes for lunch for everybody. When

Unknown Speaker 9:43
I think I think baseball games and that's why I've hinted it America's favorite game. The first day of baseball kicked off I think it was Thursday a couple of days ago. And the first day of this year's baseball season Major League Baseball season kicked off. And every year I tried to go to a game Am I Arizona Diamondbacks from Arizona. So the one professional team that I do hold on to from Arizona, is the Diamondbacks. And I always like to go to a baseball game wherever I am, I've gotten to see the Dodgers play and the Diamondbacks play in a couple of other games. But I love the atmosphere of baseball, I always love having the Polish, the beef coach dogs or whatever, with the mustard and having something good and fun to drink ice and cold. And even here, try to catch some of the our game throughout in Summerlin, it's just fun to go to baseball games, and so the seasons kicking off so when I saw that on your menu, it brought back memories and it made me really want it one ended up trying your chicken wings, but I really wanted the, the the beef Polish dog, but I'm gonna do that as well. The next time I have the opportunity to stop by enjoy Chicago style food truck. So

Unknown Speaker 10:57
you're gonna have to come hungry.

Unknown Speaker 11:00
I think got time I think I'm gonna I'm gonna make sure I have more than one occasion when I'm able to get there. But were you afraid? I mean, we're talking about women's history month and making great strides and doing some different things. And the decision to have a food truck and a loving inspiration that you just couldn't find home. So you brought a little bit of home here to you for you in you know, in a way that you can share it with other people. And were you afraid at the time? Was it tough getting started? Talking about being a woman in business? Was that part of it difficult? What were the challenges?

Unknown Speaker 11:36
Well, if I have to be honest, I never thought I would have a food truck. It always seemed so unreachable of a thing. I know that I don't want to stand alone restaurant. Because I don't ever want to have to be somewhere all the time. I like being able to move around. I like being mobile. But the idea for the food truck wasn't necessarily mine. I started out as what we call an annual itinerant, meaning I could only run my business from a tent, that festivals, outdoor food festivals. So I could do tent events, if you will. So I started out with a table and a generator. And in a tent, you know, a couple of chairs, and a good idea. And, you know, I would go to flea markets, farmers markets, things like that, wherever they would allow it to be set up and food to be served. That's where I worked. That was my arena. And during COVID is when it got started. Because there were no festivals, people were not out. We could not go and do these things jazz fests and farmers markets all of that stopped. So I had a kitchen that I was paying for. And I said I cannot keep paying for this kitchen, and I'm not getting any return. So we started delivering pizza puffs. On a daily basis, we just put out a post on our group page. And by our group page. I mean, for those of us who live in Chicago, I mean, that lived in Chicago, and now live in Vegas, there's a page that we would go to so we could just, you know, forum, chit chat, talk most of it about food, and stepping in music and who knew who things like that. And I put out on that page that I was going to be delivering pizza puffs. If you ordered two or more, I would throw in a pop because we don't drink soda. I would throw up that. And we just started delivering. And we got so swamped. So busy. I had three or four different people now delivering while I stayed at the kitchen and just made the pizza plus took the orders made the pizza plus, and I had three or four people out delivered. So on that page, somebody reached out to me and they said, What is your store because I want to come and get some food. And I cracked a joke. And I said well, I don't have a standalone or I don't have a store. But when I grow up, perhaps I'll get a food truck. Kind of the very next day. The gentleman read a gentleman read this post and he reached out to me and he said how would you like to grow up today? I have a food. He said I have a food truck that I am not running. I don't want to rent it. I would be more than willing to lease it to you. You can take control of the menu. You can cook whatever you want, sell whatever you want. The truck is fully approved. It's all been registered. It just needs an owner. It just needs somebody to run it. Well, girl I took that as a as a sign

Unknown Speaker 14:33
as a sign talked about having prayers answered. Talk about having your prayers answered in the most unexpected way. I mean, here it is Resurrection Sunday and you're sharing your miracle with us. I mean,

Unknown Speaker 14:44
that's exactly that's what it felt like. So I took him up on that offer and we leased that truck. And I created a menu. And this is about the time when I started making my own Chicago style mild sauce. Again, remember Earlier we talked about those corner stores where you could go in and get some good foods. Well, different variations a mild sauce or all over the city. There's always been a battle between the South Side mild sauce or the west side my home fast, but it's a nice sauce to add to any chicken or fish or even a pulled pork dish or something like that. No, I

Unknown Speaker 15:20
know what you're talking about. Because when I was at your truck a week ago, at the event, a friend of mine bought some french fries and brought them over and he says to me try the sauce you and he was adamant. You have to try this sauce. So that's the sauce you're talking about. I've had to sauce the sauce is really good. It made my french fries absolutely delicious in I live with my friend Felix is a French fries that

Unknown Speaker 15:46
came about with the movement of the food truck because now I could create a menu. Well, I wasn't going to buy somebody else's sauce and put it on my truck. This I have a truck now I have an opportunity to create a menu. So I created a sauce the enjoy Chicago style mild sauce was born men. It was so good. I took it to test markets, you know, and I had people try this one. This one This one, I think I made three or four different variations. Everybody chose the one that I'm currently battling right now. Okay, and it's, it's available.

Unknown Speaker 16:19
That's a whole another process. So how do you okay, but I noticed that you do have a bottle? So is it also something that's available on different places that people order stuff like Amazon or somewhere? Like, do you ship this to people? Do they order it in bulk?

Unknown Speaker 16:36
Right now you can order in bulk? I have it you know, you can buy a two ounce bottle, you can buy a 16 ounce bottle, you can buy galleys. So I do have the sauces available that way. And yes, you can order it you know when you go to my website. Or you can get it when you come to the truck. I have people that come in, they say I want the chicken wings plain, but I will take that bottle if

Unknown Speaker 16:59
that's what you mess with throw the website out so that people know where they can go. You've talked about this mouthwatering sauce, and how unique and great it is and all this good food? Let them know, where's the website? Well, and we'll share it again. We're done.

Unknown Speaker 17:14
Okay, well, it is the name of my business. It's enjoy Chicago style.com. And this is where people can go online and order the sauce. Or you know they can I'm a texture girl, and I'm still very much in touch with the people. So I get text messages when people want to order food or to get some sauce delivered. So I receive text messages all the time and we still deliver for free.

Unknown Speaker 17:41
Time in North Las Vegas. How many times a week? Are you? Are you out? Or is it on a case by case basis? Like how regularly is the truck in, in movement.

Unknown Speaker 17:51
So I have been blessed in the sense that I don't have to fight with the other taco trucks out there. What I do is specialty so I don't just roll around looking for some place to park. Right now most of what we do are catered events. So again, you go to the website, you order the truck for your event, like you did. You know, hey, I'm promoting this or I'm promoting that or our school is having a festival or we're having a birthday party for my grandfather's ABS or, I mean, I've done some things that we've served food for voters 250 voters just to add to stand in line and and the party was concerned that the people would stand in line and they'd get hungry and they wouldn't stay and they wouldn't vote. So if we had a food truck present, would you be willing to serve 250 meals? So yeah, we've done that for voters. But most of what I do are catered events where people order the truck, that way we know exactly what we're bringing how many people were serving, then we're able to meet all of the needs at that time. There are occasions where I will just roll around and looked for somewhere to be but it's not very often. And then usually when that happens, I'm going to be in the historic west side area.

Unknown Speaker 19:05
But for those who don't know, I know a lot of people know but I love when we put things out like historic west side to make sure for those who might be listening or getting acquainted with the Las Vegas Valley to know where that is and where you'll be keeping your eyes peeled for the enjoy Chicago style food truck that's over by basically starts about really Ed Bonanza and runs MLK Martin Luther King Boulevard runs right through the middle of it, if you will. And it's flanked on the east end by 15. kind of goes up to that you'll see all the streets with the letters H and J and and and that sort of thing do little and the West Las Vegas Library campuses in the historic west side. And then to the west. It's Rancho and on the north end, roughly I'd say really it stops at Brookswood. I take it over to Cheyenne generously, but you know Oh, that's the historic west side. And so if you're rolling around and spending some time on a Saturday, you might, you might come upon the enjoy Chicago style food truck, and get to me the joy Jones coffee to what I'm talking to, this morning on the scoop here. Okay, you will be 91.5 glad to have her in the studio talking with me as we close out Women's History Month, and talk about being trailblazers, or just taking the challenge to do something different. And starting her own business through just an idea, Joy. What was what was your biggest inspiration because it takes a certain type of person to be driven to do something out of the box, and they never thought they would do before?

Unknown Speaker 20:44
Well, going back to COVID, and what was happening in my life at the time. I'm just gonna be honest with you, one of my biggest inspirations came from the movie, Hamilton. Hmm, that movie was released in July, July 4 of 2020. And I got a chance to see it on the screen. Obviously, I didn't go to New York, but I got a chance to see Hamilton. And there were some things in that movie that really stood out at me. There was a line in particular, where Hamilton said, I gotta help me, but I want to live, I want to build something that's going to outlive me. And he said, you'll get love for it, you'll get hate for it. But you'll get nothing if you wait for it. And so I just kind of threw it out of the window, and I had a conversation with the Lord and I said, I'm going to do my natural, I'm going to ask you for your super. Let's just, let's just do this together, I'm going to partner with you, God, I'm going to trust you and grind. And let's just see where it goes.

Unknown Speaker 21:45
Yeah, I really liked that. And women to women in this, I really liked that because women to women in this month as we talk about the contributions that women make, and just putting the spotlight on you today, the idea that if you don't put any effort for if you don't get anything out, and if you're just sitting by on the sidelines, you'll always only ever be sitting by on the sidelines, I hope that at least you know, one of the things that is piqued my ears, as I'm talking with you this morning is that if you don't do anything, and you don't get off the sidelines, you will watch everything pass you by, and what will be your contribution, what will be your mark. So I really liked that piece of advice because you can really internalize it, and let it help you on a daily basis kind of be propelled forward to inch more and more toward whatever your goal is, or at least to have the faith to try something rather than the fear, to allow yourself to be held back from the opportunity. That was it.

Unknown Speaker 22:42
That was a mantra for me to faith over fear. I used to be afraid of everything. But then it just it occurred to me, you've been blessed, you cannot be afraid to share that somebody has to experience that, you know, somebody has to you know, ask you, where did this come from? You know, you have to be a testimony. So glad and do it. And then you know, whatever happens, you know, you did your part.

Unknown Speaker 23:06
I love it. Um, how can people find you? I mean, we talked about the website. But can they also follow you on social media? Like when you get ready to go out? Do you take pictures? And do you say, Hey, we're gonna be here today? Are you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram? And can they see some of the delicious dishes that you're putting together? Because people love to look at pictures of food? And I'm wondering, do you guys do videos as well? Like, is it a whole movement, or following the injury Chicago style

Unknown Speaker 23:33
that I'm working on that part I'm working on? I do not have a Facebook page, and it's enjoy Chicago style. I do have an Instagram, enjoy. Underscore Chicago underscore style. I do my best to take pictures. I just partnered with a young lady who's going to be following us. For for exactly that reason. She's helping us create our social media. Boom, if you will. Because even though I've been doing this for five years, I shout out to everybody who has a business but doesn't like social media. I see you I feel your struggle. It's not that I don't like it. It's just the you know,

Unknown Speaker 24:10
No, I totally. Because sometimes the space that I currently occupy every requires a lot of self exposure. And I am not always one who I just do what I'm going to do. I'm not always told the story of all of the different things. And so I'll meet people all the time. And they'll go, Oh, I didn't know you worked on this board or sir with this organization. And it's because of the space of where we're supposed to now tell the story which is on social media platforms. I am now always conscious to take a picture and then tell you hey, this happened today. I just do it. And so I totally understand the hesitation that people have sometimes to what I call live your life out loud because you're living in on social media. But in this day and age people have to get to know you. Any plans for a cookbook to show cheer to add to the legacy and leave behind one of the greatest things. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 25:06
no, no, no plans for for cookbook, the recipes that I have, are, again, they're going to be the legacy my children will get those recipes, and hopefully continue on, hopefully create some things of their own to add to the enjoy platform. But for the most part, I'm grilling a secret. I'm kind of secretive as much. You

Unknown Speaker 25:25
know, I know what you mean, because I'm your sister is also a dear friend of my life. And I make a whipping cream pancake. That's a family recipe handed down from my grandmother. And every so often I'll post a picture of this cake on Facebook. And every time I do everybody wants a cake. And so she was like, Can I have the recipe? And I was like, yeah, no. And she ultimately said, she found one. And I said, that's great. I just can't give you this one, like the recipes have to stay in the family. And one of the last things my mom did, she passed away from breast cancer. I was 23 years ago now. But the last Christmas that we had with her her Christmas gift to me and my two brothers was a cookbook of many of her recipes that she thought were our favorite dishes. So that we would always have them just to know the basics of where it starts from because she didn't measure anything when she cooked. But she put down the basic principles. So here's what you need. And here's what you you're trying to do. And as long as you understand cooking, because it's a love, it's a joy, it's a rhythm. And as long as you understand it, you can fill in the gaps of where things are left out. Like my brother has called me and said, I don't understand this dressing recipe. And I'm like, Oh, it's so easy. But that's because I understand the flows, the gifts and the rhythm. And that's not to say that he's not an excellent cook. He is. That's just something that she didn't expel everything out. And you have to know what you're doing to get to the end game. With dressing on Thanksgiving.

Unknown Speaker 26:54
I would have to agree when I'm not on the truck, and we're doing catered events, the same way I do my best to say this is the ingredient we're going to need. But making it exactly the way I do requires you standing over my shoulder. Yeah. And that's where my kids come in. I want them standing over my shoulder and watching what I do. And I want them to share that with their kids when the time comes. So again, it's about legacy. It's about leaving something that that that can go on and on and on. So

Unknown Speaker 27:20
I have to know as we're beginning to wind down the show, we're in the homestretch here this morning that a few more minutes left. It's Easter Sunday. Will you be cooking and sharing some treats today? Or will you get to rest and be showered by the family? Are they going to be on deck in the kitchen?

Unknown Speaker 27:37
They're going to be waiting with bated breath for me to finish the ham on the potato salad and the chicken and dressing and the macaroni and cheese and the greens and and then the sweet potato pie.

Unknown Speaker 27:52
Sorry, can I just come to your house later on today?

Unknown Speaker 27:54
John? Yeah, you're always welcome. I feel like I

Unknown Speaker 27:57
just found some extended family in Las Vegas and I can be sure that I will

Unknown Speaker 28:02
eat well. You will you will

Unknown Speaker 28:05
thank you for spending some time talking to me and helping me close out Women's History Month. Welcome to spring everyone happy Resurrection Day. Joy again Jay Oh, I love the way you worked in your name to the name of your Chuck E in Jo is joy Jones coffee with me this morning. Share your handles one more time before we go your website Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. My

Unknown Speaker 28:30
website is enjoying Chicago style.com My Facebook is also enjoy Chicago style.com. And my Instagram is enjoy underscore Chicago underscore style. All of these enjoys are spelled like you said with n i e n j Li and the best part is when I hand you your food through the truck, I usually will say enjoy perfect. So I look forward to so don't just eat enjoy.

Unknown Speaker 28:58
Absolutely no next time I have something going on and I invite enjoy Chicago style food truck. Thank you once again Las Vegas for tuning in joy. Have a great day with your family. And everyone have a wonderful week.

Unknown Speaker 29:11
Thank you

Unknown Speaker 29:16
I want to thank you for tuning into the scoop with me telling you Flanagan and I want to invite you to get social with me I'm on Facebook and Twitter. My name is my handle ta en YAFLA na GA N You can also find me on Instagram at Tanya almond eyes Flanagan and if you have a thought and opinion or a suggestion, don't hesitate to shoot me an email to tonya.flanagan@unlv.edu Thanks again for joining in. Stay safe and have a great week.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai