The Chavers family defines the word “entrepreneur” deliciously.
Lekendris Chavers came up with the recipes for his ribs and hamburgers. His wife, Danielle, came up with the idea to do something with her husband’s cooking talent. And their daughter, Lekenda, created the lemonade recipe.
All of them — and their tasty accomplishments — can be found in the neon-green Grill Grabz food truck.
“My husband has always done cookout food, backyard food,” Danielle says. “On Thanksgiving and other holidays, people know to come to him to get their ribs and turkeys and chickens — big orders of food. I noticed what a gift he had and how people, especially around the holidays, were wanting him to cater for them.”
Lekendris worked for a medical company for more than eight years, when Danielle, a “business brand ambassador,” decided it might be time to capitalize on his cooking talents. “I help people develop their brands,” she says, “and develop their business.” When she saw how much money her husband made “in a matter of hours” with his cooking, she told him, “This is bigger than we could ever imagine. This is making you a lot of money.” And she added, “I believe God is pushing you into what he has for you.”
Lekendris decided to quit his job and pursue cooking. “He was a little bit afraid,” says Danielle. “He’d always worked at a corporate job. He’d never done a full-on entrepreneurship.”
Instead of a brick-and-mortar restaurant, the Chavers decided to “play it safe” with a food truck. “We wouldn’t have to worry about any overhead or anything like that,” says Danielle.
They had their food truck custom-built in San Antonio. “Built from the bottom up,” says Danielle. “We watched the whole process.”
The couple officially opened Grill Grabz on December 15, 2021, in front of the old Steak ’n Shake at 4199 Hacks Cross Road, where the family still operates their food truck on most days. Danielle used to own The Glam Palace beauty salon behind the Steak ’n Shake. “I closed that down to help pursue my husband’s dream,” she says. “I’m still a hair stylist.”
Lekendris, who is from Indianola, Mississippi, began cooking as a child, when his mother was working a night shift. “I come from a long line of cooks,” he says. “Watching my mother and my aunties in the kitchen — that’s how I learned to cook. Go to the stove, cut it on, put something on the stove, season it, and make sure it doesn’t burn.”
He was 10 when he came up with his “Smokehouse” burger. “My first time putting a burger on the stove it was smoking. I was thinking it was burning up, but it was really just cooking.”
“Just the flame from the griddle and the meat on the griddle with the fat in the beef,” Danielle says of the process. “Once you cook it on the flame, it’s going to create smoke.” Lekendris continues to achieve the “smokehouse” flavor he discovered as a child because he uses a griddle on the food truck.
The Grill Grabz menu includes the “Smokehouse Cheeseburger,” as well as party wings, catfish, and ribs. “Our main thing is to make everything fresh,” says Lekendris.
Danielle adds, “We are also the home of the ‘Salmon Philly’ — fresh grilled salmon and white American cheese with a special sauce on a grilled, toasted bun.”
Lekenda came up with her “Rockin’ Lemonade” recipe when she was 8 years old. “But it didn’t become an official business until she was 13, during the pandemic,” says Danielle.
Lekenda’s first “corporate partnership” was at Kirby Wines & Liquors when she was 15. Her lemonade is now at Meals For You restaurant, as well as at Grill Grabz. “She has five different flavors,” says Danielle. “Pretty Passion, Azora Blue, Sunset, Original, and Pink Panther.”
The family has considered opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant at some point, but for now, Danielle says, “We’re just trying to take it one day at a time.”
When not parked at its home location on Hacks Cross, the Grill Grabz truck travels to multiple locations in the area. To keep up, go to grillgrabz on Facebook or Instagram, or call (901) 247-4312.