Chef hopes to get back on road after Haitian food truck stolen
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Nashville chef specializing in Haitian food is trying to get back to what he loves most after someone stole his food truck in January.
Lamartine (Lamar) Alvarez ran the Chez Lama Haitian Cuisine food truck for more than decade. It was his way of sharing the culture of his home country, Haiti, with all of Nashville.
“It was something that I always wanted to do,” Alvarez said. “You can just imagine my excitement when people say, ‘Man, this is the best chicken or salmon I ever tasted.’”
Alvarez grew up cooking from a young age, learning many traditional Haitian recipes from his mother. He began his food truck in 2009, filling it with thousands of dollars in cooking equipment. Alvarez said he was in disbelief when he found out it was stolen, having double-locked it.
“It’s something that happened and you kind of stop breathing for a moment,” Alvarez said. “Not my love for cooking, they couldn’t steal that one.”
Alvarez set up a GoFundMe account to help him raise the money to replace his food truck.
In the meantime, he is filling some catering orders from his house.
“They stole my tools, but they didn’t steal my skill and I believe that I can still do it again,” Alvarez said. “I’m not going to give up. I don’t know how long it will take. If the GoFundMe works and we have the funds, we will start as soon as possible.”
If you would like to help Alvarez replaced his stolen food truck, click here.
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