Sometimes all it takes is one setback to launch a string of successes. Antonio Vargas of Cruisin Cuisine, based in Orlando, knows how true this is. All it took was one unfortunate yet relatable life event to spur him on and chase something he always wanted.
Losing your job can be a real blow to your confidence. And, in this economy, you might have a lot of people telling you to hold off until something else comes your way. But Antonio? He would tell you to go for it!
Roaming Hunger: Hi, Antonio! Tell us a bit about yourself.
Antonio Vargas: Hey! So basically, I was a corporate chef for many, many years—working in industrial kitchens for huge corporations and learning how to feed hundreds. It’s an art, but it’s also a science, you know?”
When Antonio was a child in his birthplace of Puerto Rico, food was methodical, mysterious, and wonderful. He recalls the experience of his mom asking him to take the rocks out of the prodigally large bags of beans. It was then that he fell in love with food. It wasn’t just the taste, there was something about the process and the presentation that transfixed him.
So, when he was laid off twice in 2016 from the steely clad, strictly run kitchens he spent the majority of his days and nights in, he initially felt unmoored. He couldn’t stay in Florida—instead he took his mind off things through travel and hanging out with his buddies.
“I went to Seattle to go sightseeing. I was sitting there at a restaurant, half enjoying my food, half kind of complaining. My friend turned to me and asked, ‘Why don’t you just open a food truck?’”
At first, the idea was preposterous to Vargas.
“I’ve gotta admit, I was kind of ignorant in the sense that my time in corporate kitchens had really sheltered me. I thought, why on earth would I want to cook in a food truck? I thought food trucks could only be tacos—I love tacos by the way—I just didn’t initially see all the potential. But, I gave myself a chance.”
So a new journey began. Vargas took his severance from the Hard Rock Cafe and got going, learning how to use the different mechanisms on the truck and doing most of the prep work in his home kitchen.
“I pretty much had Roaming Hunger from the get-go to help me find clients, which was a crazy blessing. I was struggling to take the concept of corporate, high-end food and convince people that they should get it from someone who serves it out of a truck. But Roaming Hunger found clients for me at the beginning, helping me to become such a name in the business.”
When asked for the advice he’d give to others starting a career in catering, especially out of a food truck, he says to “find people that help you do what you do.”
In other words, he really considers himself to be a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to the quality control of his food. Which makes him kind of an anomaly. He literally touches every plate, not allowing anyone else to prep or cook anything in his kitchen. He does, however, have someone to run the window. When you’re running the whole show, it’s important to find those who you trust and whose opinion you want to consistently listen to. Because in those opinions is inspiration.
The rest, he says, is all about creativity. Though the thought of a corporate kitchen might conjure a sterile, robotic environment, Antonio is an extremely creative person.
“My first job was as a dishwasher at the JW Marriott hotel in Orlando. I was a dishwasher, then on room service, and I finally worked my way into the kitchen. There were so many cultures in that kitchen, and I found such a taste for Asian foods and other things I had never tried before. That’s honestly a huge part of my business now—bringing diverse cultures into high-end meals.”
But as a chef, he says, your inspiration does not (and should not) only come from the food you make or eat. He cites the colors he sees when he walks his dog as being formative to his creativity. In truth, catering is largely reliant on appearances.
The more clients he found, the more Antonio fell in love with the catering business.
“It’s guaranteed money. It’s so liberating that I know in my head how much food I need. From there, the important things are making sure you don’t overcook the food, your technique is decent, and you’re consistent. A lot of that can be kind of cheated through prepping. The real secret is to prep like crazy. That’s it. I’m a little different than other chefs in the sense that I’m pretty open to making what clients ask for.”
Now, Antonio caters some of the biggest corporate events in Orlando, bringing delightful, high-quality food to everything from sit-down dinners to finger food and hor d’oeuvres. His biggest event was a recent one for Delta Airlines, where he served clients on the tarmac. He really is flying pretty high these days
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to start your catering business, perhaps this is it. All it takes is a little patience and a willingness to learn. Antonio will wholeheartedly tell you that if you’re organized and communicative, you’ll build the relationships you need to in no time.
Check out Cruisin Cuisine here.
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Author: This interview was conducted and edited by Greta Gooding.