Today we’d like to introduce you to Luis “Luckie” Berrios.
Hi Luis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started watching and learning how to cook as a child in my Guela’s kitchen in Puerto Rico. I continued learning and developing my love of food watching my mom prepare meals. While my love of cooking never waned life took over, I started a family and took a corporate job to pay the bills but my passion for food was ever-present in the background.
When I realized corporate life wasn’t a good fit I returned to my passion and began working in the food industry working my way up from a dishwasher. The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ gave me the opportunity to grow my skills and spread my wings in the kitchen. After several years of working for someone, I made the leap to work for myself and opened a catering company, Mi Familia Catering.
Striking out on my own was a huge leap of faith and I had to double down on my belief in myself as my bank account read zero dollars. Deep down I knew food was the right path for me. After several years of hard work building my catering company, I branched out and launched a healthy kitchen, Chef Luckie’s Kitchen where I offered healthy meal options and meal prep plans. I expanded my catering offerings to include private chef events and began thinking of what was next for me.
The universe delivered the answer in the form of the Global COVID-19 Pandemic which completely upended how people ate and interacted and so began my food truck journey. Designed and built in Miami, Suerte Food Truck hit the road in Spring 2021 serving up my famous Suerte Cubano sandwich and other Latin fusion dishes.
Being mobile allowed me to share my food with a wider audience and meet people I otherwise wouldn’t have. My happiness comes from watching people enjoy my food, hearing that my dish reminds them of their Grandmother’s rice and beans or is better than their Tia’s pernil fills me with joy.
While building my healthy kitchen and food truck following, I continued to be blessed with private chef opportunities traveling all over the world and cooking for athletes and celebrities. Cooking for players of the New York Jets, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Atlanta Braves while in Star Island, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta Georgia, Mexico, and countless other locales are reinforcement that I made the right decision when I made that leap all those years ago.
These days I stay busy traveling for private chef events, being a restaurateur of Chef Luckie’s Kitchen, Luckie’s Café, and Suerte Food Truck, and as co-owner of Chloe’s Restaurant and Tapas in Paterson, NJ.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
In the beginning, I struggled hard, to find clients who would trust an unknown chef, build a brand, build a reputation, pay bills, learning how to be a business owner, it was a challenge to push through but I knew any mistakes I made along the way were an opportunity to learn and do better next time.
COVID-19 was a challenge unlike any other, deciding whether to keep Chef Luckie’s kitchen open or close for the safety of my staff and our guests and adapting to regulations and safety measures, those were surreal days and some of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make as a business owner.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a creator, and making people happy through food is my love language. Specializing in Latin fusion cuisine I’m known for mixing cultures and flavors in unexpected ways. I’m most proud that I am able to wake up every day and continue to love the dream I’m chasing.
As a mentor and coach, I want everyone to succeed. I want to share my knowledge, I want to help my staff grow and achieve, and I want to be the one pulling out the chair so you too can have a seat at the table.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Watch the company you keep. Never stop believing in yourself, people will doubt and question, and you will doubt and question, but only you know what you are capable of and can push yourself to achieve it and more. If you surround yourself with negativity, negative will follow. If you surround yourself with positivity, there is no limit to what you can attain.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chefluckie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itschefluckie/
- Other: https://moratag.com/chefluckie/
Image Credits
Justin Alvarez (@Justinnla)
