Food Truck Business Lab | Jefferson-Chalmers
- Time: Mondays, Jan. 11-Feb. 15, 2027
- Location: Jefferson East, Inc. (JEI), 14300 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, MI 48215
Get your food truck ready to ROLL!
A six-week business-building cohort exclusively for food truck owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood.
Great food is just the beginning. Running a successful food truck takes smart planning, the right pricing, and a solid understanding of what it costs to keep your business moving.
Maybe you’re ready to launch your first food truck. Maybe you’re already serving customers but struggling to manage costs or turn a consistent profit. Or maybe you’re looking to grow your business and make the most of the 2027 food truck season.
MWF’s Food Truck Business Lab is a six-week, hands-on cohort designed to help Jefferson-Chalmers food truck entrepreneurs build stronger businesses, improve profitability, and prepare for growth.
Sponsored by the Kresge Foundation and led by Detroit food entrepreneur and business coach Ederique “Chef E” Goudia, founder of In the Business of Food (IBF Detroit), this program combines real-world food industry expertise with practical business strategies you can put to work right away.
You’ll also learn about funding opportunities through MWF and what it takes to prepare your business for financing.
Program Details
Dates: Mondays, Jan. 11-Feb. 15, 2027
Time: 10 a.m.-Noon
Location: Jefferson East, Inc. (JEI), 14300 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, MI 48215
Format: Weekly in-person sessions
Cohort Size: Limited to 10–15 participants
What To Expect
Learn directly from Chef E, one of Detroit’s leading food entrepreneurs and business coaches, as you get your food truck business ready for the season ahead.
From startup costs and menu pricing to daily operations and financing, this cohort focuses on the business decisions that can make the difference between simply staying busy and actually making money.
Topics include:
- Recipe standardization and food costing
- Pricing for profitability
- Understanding break-even analysis and financial statements
- Managing cash flow
- Exploring lending and financing options
- Preparing a strong loan application
What You’ll Walk Away With
This isn’t just a workshop. It’s an opportunity to work on your business before the busy food truck season begins. By the end of the program, you’ll have:
- A clearer business plan and strategy for operating or launching your food truck
- A better understanding of startup expenses and ongoing operating costs
- Practical tools for menu costing and profitable pricing
- Strategies to manage inventory, control expenses, and improve profitability
- Greater confidence in managing the financial side of your business
- A stronger understanding of funding opportunities through MWF and what lenders look for
- A plan to position your food truck business for a successful season
Eligibility
This cohort is exclusively for food truck owners and aspiring food truck entrepreneurs in Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. Applicants must be located in, or plan to operate, a food truck business serving the Jefferson-Chalmers area.
Who Should Apply
This cohort is designed for entrepreneurs who want to launch, strengthen, or grow a financially sustainable food truck business.
You may be:
- An existing food truck owner looking to improve profitability and operations
- An aspiring entrepreneur preparing to launch a food truck
- A food entrepreneur looking to expand into a mobile food business
- A food truck operator interested in financing equipment, improvements, or business growth
You don’t need to have everything figured out, but you should be ready to do the work. This program is a strong fit if you:
- Want to get your business ready for the upcoming food truck season
- Need help understanding costs, pricing, and profitability
- Are looking to improve day-to-day operations
- Want to explore funding opportunities to launch or grow
- Are open to feedback and ready to put new strategies into action
Space is limited! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an experienced Detroit food industry leader and get your business ready for the season ahead.
Sponsored By
About the Instructor
Ederique “Chef E” Goudia
Founder, In the Business of Food (IBF Detroit | Manager, Shed 5 Incubator Kitchen
Ederique “Chef E” Goudia is a Detroit-based chef, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized food business leader with more than 25 years of experience supporting food entrepreneurs and strengthening local food systems.
As founder of In the Business of Food (IBF Detroit) and manager of the Shed 5 Incubator Kitchen at Eastern Market, Chef E helps emerging food businesses grow through hands-on coaching, business education, and access to critical resources. Her work has empowered countless entrepreneurs to turn their passion for food into successful, sustainable businesses.
A sought-after speaker and advocate for food entrepreneurship and food justice, Chef E has been featured by National Geographic, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, NPR, and the James Beard Foundation. She is passionate about helping under-resourced entrepreneurs build thriving businesses that nourish both their communities and Michigan’s economy.