Ashley Reed owns the lot where her food truck, The Brunch Munch, operates on The Deuces. She’s planning to open a restaurant at the site. The property sits at 925 22nd St. S between Lorene’s Fish House, Heavy’s Restaurant, and Sid’s Caribbean Grill.
Reed started the mobile operation almost exactly two years ago. By day, she works as a nurse from 9 to 5. Then she runs the truck on weeknights and weekends.
Wings and waffles anchor the menu at events around town. Reed hand-batters each wing with her own breading recipe, then marinates them for at least 24 hours. Garlic parmesan tops the sales list, but the Hennessy BBQ sauce uses actual Hennessy with the alcohol cooked out.
Soul Food Sunday events on The Deuces showcase the full menu: fried fish, oxtails, fried shrimp, collard greens, candied yams, banana pudding, and cornbread.
Reed grew up on Jamaican food. She learned to cook alongside her mother and grandmother. At age seven, she made her first solo meal: lemon pepper chicken. A variation of that recipe appears on the truck now.
Before starting the business, she traveled to Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans to research soul food. Reed taught herself the cooking style while working her nursing job.
“The community is coming to life, and I love it,” said Reed, according to I Love The Burg. “It’s a historic neighborhood in the Black community, so I wanted to put my truck there and serve good food to the community.”
Reed’s mother works the pickup and order window. Reed and her mother’s boyfriend handle cooking and plating. The owner was born and raised in South St. Pete.
The business also serves specialty lemonades and desserts. Lines at the truck have grown since the February debut at Localtopia.
Reed described her love language as acts of service. Cooking for others is how she shows it.