Redefining Mobile Dining The journey of Chef Lay Alston, Queens-born creator of the Soul&Wheel mobile restaurant concept
by Lucky Ahmed How did you find your passion for cooking? I come from a long line of people who... were cooking for large groups of people. I feel I’ve always been around that. When I was in elementary school we had to write a letter about who we wanted to be. My letter was [about] me wanting to be a chef. I don’t know why, but I always found them [chefs] very interesting. I was always watching Food Network for hours at a time—I chose that over cartoons. I would also love to watch my grandma cook for hours, and we had the best moments in our family when we gathered around the dinner table. People gathering around food has become embedded in who I am, how I grew up. Do you think if you hadn’t been exposed to food in that way in your youth, you might be pursuing a different career now? My passion for food, my passion for feeding people, has really helped me through a lot of challenges. There are kitchens where I can go and enrich myself in cooking, and in the food, the ingredients, the learning experience. I feel like there’s nothing else that I was ready to do other than this. So, I think I would be doing this either way. I read on your website that you loved to do 30 minute recipes when you were young. What about the cooking did you enjoy? I think the adrenaline that you get. I like challenges, like getting things done in a short amount of time. Organizing what you’re going to make, as well as moving at an urgent pace to execute something is really enticing to me. I just love that. Also,
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what I love is the idea of feeding people. Being able to bring people joy and love for food. Did you see yourself opening a restaurant someday, or did you simply want to work in one? I’ve always had the personality to want to do things my own way. I would always be the odd one out in class. Like, if something wasn’t done my way, I didn’t really want to do it. I was always interested in things, and challenging my teachers. I’ve never really seen myself working in a restaurant—I’ve always seen myself doing more than that...I know I want to create something that’s unique and different, and I want to be able to take the creative [path]. You said you love to challenge yourself. Do you think any challenge is possible, or are some impossible? Personally, I think all challenges are possible. I think challenges are made to be overcome. I don’t think there’s anything that can be put in your way that you won’t be able to maneuver around… especially with the support of [those] around us. Since you’re an alumni from Food and Finance High School, how would you say your time at FFHS helped you prosper in this career? In my time there, I [knew] two people who played a pivotal role, my chef instructor and my assistant principal. They were two
people that took interest and took a liking to me and kind of helped me through my career. Through my journey at FFHS..they really molded me into the person I need to be to get to the next level. What advice do you have for current students seeking to open their own business? Good question! My advice is, do the research. Once you do the research, start reaching out to your community and ask for support from people who want to help. Also reach out to those who are doing something similar to you. You can ask for direct guidance and information, whether it be a mentorship or a new collaboration. Reach out to the people in your lane, and do something that you want to do. Why did you decide on opening a mobile restaurant rather than a brick-andmortar? I’ve always been a person who enjoys traveling. I enjoy the idea of being flexible with where I live, so the idea of a brickand-mortar never really sat well with me. I don’t see myself being in one state or city for five, 10 years. But [I decided on] the idea of doing a food truck because you can travel with it, you can go state to state and see different cities. I’ve always liked the idea of a dine-in restaurant experience, something elegant, intimate, and bring’s a grandma’s grandma’s house type of vibe. Combine fine dining and
