Laid off in the course of pandemic, pair cooks up new approach

Five months back, close friends Junior Hernandez and Rory Sofa identified them selves unemployed and making an attempt to figure out what to do up coming.

“I’ve been cooking for 20 many years and my buddy Rory has been barbecuing for as very long as I can remember,” Hernandez explained. “I acquired laid off and proudly owning a food truck, it is one of people items wherever it normally takes a husband or wife. If you test and do it by your self, you may forget about to do a thing. I realized that I was going to need to have some enable.”

And as a result Unwanted fat Head Meats was born. The Odessa small business has considering the fact that gradually taken off, and the two longtime Permian Basin residents are happy about the way factors have gone because opening.

Small business was gradual at 1st. , Hernandez said he and Sofa designed about $13 on the initial working day.

“We just caught with it,” Hernandez mentioned. “We did not give up. Matters turned around. We moved to a new location. From there, people today started noticing us. With that blessing, a ton of our friends commenced to come and see us.”

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They’ve been equipped to make ends meet up with and so significantly, and Extra fat Head Meats now employs five men and women and has offered back to the neighborhood because its opening.

“We got so blessed that we had to help the group,” Hernandez claimed. “We commenced accomplishing what we can. We’re laying the foundation. We’re performing as much as we can but we’re laying the foundation with what we can do.”

Like Hernandez, Couch is no stranger to the location, playing his substantial school soccer at Permian and creating all-state all through his senior 12 months in 1995 as the Panthers innovative to the state championship game that season.

For Couch, performing with his longtime friend has assisted things go effortlessly.

“Junior and I have been friends considering the fact that we were youngsters,” Couch claimed. “I went off to engage in ball in faculty and I presently understood what he was about and that he had been cooking for a extended time.”

That partnership has assisted them by means of the challenging stretches that came in the 1st months of the enterprise.

“Some times I did not want to do it and some times he did not want to do it but we trapped with it and supported each other,” Hernandez stated. “That’s the fantastic detail about obtaining a partner. We finished up increasing. Catering has served us out. Close friends and family members have served us out.”

As far as aiding out with the community, Hernandez says which is been a serious issue, expressing that they never wait to test and assistance somebody in have to have if they can.

They set up a give back day where by a percentage of product sales can contribute to an firm or an individual in require.

“That’s what keeps us going,” Hernandez mentioned. “Sometimes it’s not about the money. Our resumes are good. We know a bunch of men and women in the community. Aiding the community is what keeps us likely. That is what we’re performing. We really don’t want to do just about anything else.”

Sofa has been pleased to help give again to the group.

“It’s been a tough year for me, but I’m even now joyful,” he stated. “We’re doing work and earning it. It feels fantastic. We’re proud. We just want anyone to smile. We’re just trying to help people out.”