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Afterwards, they got to talking and Reid realized he missed cooking and started toying with the idea of cooking again.

Deciding on the type of food was the easy part, though they have tamed it down for those northern palates.

“My wife is from Brainerd and I’m from Jamaica,” Reid said. “So I wanted to do a Caribbean approach with a twist. And that’s how Caribbean Fusion came about. Fusion because I know Brainerd, it is not, how do I put it, enthused about spicy food. … So we tame down everything. My burgers and stuff are seasoned with jerk, but they are basically an American twist to the Jamaican version.”

After coming up with a menu Reid said he needed to test out his food and get some honest feedback, so he invited the jail staff to his home for a cookout for Jamaican Independence Day.

Working at the jail full time, Reid said when he has a job he will usually get off work in the morning and immediately go home and start cooking the meat. Most all other prep work is done beforehand to make the process easier.

When it comes to booking events, Reid said it is about 50/50 of him reaching out to businesses or events and then people seeing him at events or on Facebook and asking him if he is available.

“When I started, I didn’t know how to get into the events and stuff like that,” Reid said. “And just by posting stuff on Facebook and being in the truck, you get to meet a lot of different people and pick up a lot more ideas of how to expand and just get out there from the customers.”

Reid said his passion for cooking and seeing the smiles on the faces of people he serves helps when he puts in a full shift at the jail and then turns around to head to an event to serve people all day.

“If your heart is not into it, don’t do it. It is a lot of work, a lot,” Reid said. “And you need some people who can guide you in the right direction and support you. You need that support. … It is good money but it is a lot of work. You have to be determined and motivated to get up and do it every day.”

Pit Happens Catering

Coming back to Brainerd from college in 2008, Adam Peterson, owner of Pit Happens Catering, said he wanted to be more involved in his community

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