Meet Rene Pugh

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rene Pugh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rene, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Honestly, believing in God and giving my life back to him. Realizing that this his plan. Not mine . This is. GIFT he has given me . Remembering to give grace when I get upset and remembering to be humble when Pride tries to get in the way.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What set me apart for starters is the taste of my food. Everyone’s food is good. But I know I have something extra special. Not only do I know what my customers know it. They all tell me when they taste it. My customer service also . I genuinely care . Maybe too much to my detriment.

So I’m most proud and excited about everything honestly. I’m so excited when I’m cooking and for each guest to experience the culinary dish I made..I’m excited everyday I wake up. I started by doing pop ups and no of course not , it was not easy ! But worth it ! This is going to sound cliché, but I overcame challenges by not giving up even when I failed. I just did it over again. As simple as that did, I cry about it sometimes of course I did, but I wiped my tears off and I got right back up and did it again. The lessons I learned along the way is to continue to treat people how you want be treated no matter how they treat you. Because by doing that you will always keep your blessings coming .
I also learned that closed mouth don’t get fed. Meaning ask for help , the worst a person can say is no. Or IGNORE YOU . lol. Which also helps built character. Lol.

What do I want people to know about me? That this story goes way deeper than you guys will ever know. I come from a rough upbringing and overcame all odds when all the cards were stacked against me and one day I will share my full story when the time is right And at my core, my integrity, my morals, and who I am are strong. I will take up for others, when they have no voice if being mistreated in front of me .
I believe what you do when no one is looking is what matters. So what do I want people to know about me not only am I vegan chef but I genuinely care about every last customer and about every last one of my actions when I’m putting out that amazing food. I am quick to throw a whole pan of food away if it does not meet my expectations versus trying to sell it to make a quick dollar.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
To be honest, I’m still new to Dallas myself so that’s a hard one to answer. But I follow some amazing places on Instagram! So huge shout out to all these places for helping me find amazing options in Dallas – “Dallas Love list, Dallas Black,Dallas sites101, Eatyodestiny, for keeping me in the know of Dope spots around the city

Also I can say I would go to Bowl and Barrel for bowling and happy hour! And not your typical bowling alley food !
Amazing drinks ! Also I would take her to Star Bukris – a hidden gem! The best Ethiopian food in Richardson , Texas . They have one vegan friendly dish that is so good and ask for extra “housauce”. They make their own and it’s very different. And they have the best pastries when you check out I think they are sweetbreads. And And there’s another one that I can’t recall at the moment. It’s all a win!

I would also take her to Revolving Kitchen in Fairview Texas ! How can I not bring them to my food hall?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many people! The people in Vallejo California who helped kick start me. Who let me use their restaurants to set up and let me sell food ! Nicole at Provisions in Vallejo , Ca. Danny Malibu at Malibu burgers in Oakland . Mr. Clearance- owner of Morgan’s Kitchen.

When I moved to Dallas – shout out to Deep Vellum Bookstore for allowing me to set up at their location..Also to Desiree Powell- owner of Sunny South Dallas Food Park.. Before I moved here, I reached out to her to ask her some questions because I didn’t know anything about Dallas and her willingness to help and not know meant more than she will ever know. That is the very reason I continue to help people who reach out to me and I try to go above and beyond and my customer service and my knowledge and with anything I can help with not even related to the food service .
I have had people be so good to me. It’s impossible for me not to be good back. Of course my mom and I have to include the individual who I tell everything to, who hears me cry , laugh and everything in between who I have grown so fond of and trust with everything- my business partner Kimberly Sinclair , in which one day I hope her joining forces with me in my baby steps of my business , will bless her one day tremendously! Having people believe in you more than you sometimes is the best medicine for the soul and spirit . That kind of support, and genuine realness can not be bought ! And is RARE . People who genuinely don’t want nothing from you, but to see you succeed. I have really been blessed..

Instagram: Vegan_Heat

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