About the Show:
"I didn't want to do business unless I did it right. And I love nature. It's a big part of my life. I grew up in it, and I just strayed away from it for all those years that I was in the city. And now that we moved out here, we're in the mountains. Fayetteville is huge on sustainability and the environment. I really loved that. And I thought it was a great opportunity for me to implement these business ideas." - Russell Ingram
Chef Russell Ingram is a self-taught culinary expert who has spent the past 12 years honing his craft in some of the best kitchens in the world. He is now the owner of Dot's Nashville Hot Chicken food truck, where he strives to create a zero-waste dining experience with locally sourced ingredients.
Chef Russell Ingram was unsatisfied with his retail job and decided to take a leap of faith into a professional kitchen. With no experience, he quickly became a master of all the stations and was able to create dishes that were put on the menu. He then went to Atlanta to gain more experience before returning to Nashville. He wanted to focus on more intricate dishes, so he jumped up to Chef de Cuisine at a French restaurant.
After moving to Northwest Arkansas, he noticed no hot chicken food trucks, so he decided to open one himself. He was determined to make it as sustainable as possible, so he sourced all of his ingredients locally and set up a composting system for the waste product. He now runs two businesses, a hot chicken food truck and the Yacht Club Food Truck Park on N. College Avenue in Fayetteville.
In this episode, you will learn the following:
1. Chef Russell Ingram's ambitious journey from retail to running his own sustainable Food Truck restaurant.
2. The deliciousness of Nashville hot chicken and how to recreate the perfect texture with smashed red potatoes.
3. How Chef Russell Ingram has implemented a sustainable zero-waste dining experience in Northwest Arkansas.
All this and more on this episode of the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast.
Important Links and Mentions on the Show*
Email Russell Ingram
Website for Dot's Nashville Hot Chicken
Dot’s Nashville Hot Chicken on Facebook
Dot’s Nashville Hot Chicken on Instagram
Chef Russell Ingram on Instagram
This episode is sponsored by*
Signature Bank of Arkansas "Community Banking at its Best!"
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Northwest Arkansas Council - "Life Works Here!"
*Note: some of the resources mentioned may be affiliate links. This means we get paid a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.
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Mentioned in this episode:
NWA Council Commercials Skills Training (revised)
Northwest Arkansas Council - "Life Works Here!"
NWA Daily Version 2
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IANWA Signature Bank Commercial GH
Signature Bank of Arkansas "Community Banking at its Best!"
