Today we’d like to introduce you to Samara (Chef Sam) Greene-Scott.
Hi Samara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I lost my job and I was blessed to get a loan from a family friend that allowed me to purchase a smoker trailer. My wife & mother supported me while I tried to gain customers and couldn’t pay the bills.
After a year in business, I asked my wife to leave her job so that we could expand into festivals and larger events. We’ve now been in business going on three years and we are looking to take our business to the next level within the next year.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been full of surprises and road bumps because you don’t know, what you don’t know, until it matters. We’re blessed to have customers who are supportive while we’re learning because we just jumped out there.
I had only ever worked one festival (and we did not do well because that owner didn’t know what he was up against) so we’ve had to deal with the wind knocking out the heat on the food, the wind has snapped 4 of our tents, we’ve had one go airborne downtown and needed help to get it back down!
We’ve had a flat on the smoker trailer, a trailer fire, brisket being burnt by employees being careless, really too many things have happened. Mistakes in this industry are EXPENSIVE.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Soul Smoked BBQ Catering?
You should know that BBQ is in the name, but we offer so much more than that. People most often associate us with outdoor event vending and “festival food”, but we are a full-service catering company. We do freshly prepared clean food that’s packed with flavor better than most catering companies in the area. We offer smoked meats, seafood, poultry, pork dishes, and soulful sides with a concentration on flavor balances without oversalting.
I am most proud of winning the Best BBQ in Baltimore at the 2023 Baltimore Ravens Draft Day Party against some of the biggest names in food in the city. It solidified that the people agreed with everything I’ve said we stand for. I would like the readers to know that we are just getting started so we welcome suggestions and feedback to our email or DMs, we are looking to expand our offerings this year and we will also be bringing out our products in 2024 like seasoning and sauces
What matters most to you?
Integrity. You only have your word in this life and one (sometimes two) opportunities to show that you are true to that word. Integrity is what’s left when you strip away everything else from a person and there is nothing left to hide behind, but your own words.
I do my absolute best to mean what I say, and say what I mean when it comes to this business. I’ve had to grow up a LOT to remain in business this long. Every day is a new challenge to uphold my integrity in a world where it’s easy to cut corners.
Pricing:
- Lunch Catering Minimum: $150 for 10 sandwich combos
- Smoked Beef Brisket Half Pan (Feeds up to 15) – $150
- Nacho Bar Starting at $12 per person (min 100 ppl)
- Taco Bar Starting at $14 per person (min 100 ppl)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soulsmokedbbq.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/soulsmokedbbq
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/soulsmokedbaltimore
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/soul-smoked-bbq-baltimore-2
Image Credits
Shawn Hubbard/Baltimore Ravens Photos
Blue Fork Marketing & The Baltimore Foodie
