Meet Machakos Woman Running Thriving Food Truck in US: "Kenyan Dishes to the World"
- From the dusty kitchens of Mumbuni to the bustling streets of Columbus, Maria turned her childhood love for cooking into a thriving food truck business
- Starting with free meals at parties, a professor’s encouragement and a funeral gig changed her life forever
- Today, her mobile kitchen serves authentic Kenyan dishes to a diverse and growing customer base in the US
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When Maria was just seven years old, she would stand beside her aunt in a modest kitchen in Mumbuni, Machakos county, soaking in the aromas of simmering stews and dough.
Source: Youtube
It was in that kitchen, flour on her cheeks and firewood smoke in her hair, that her love for cooking was born.
Maria's first catering gig after high school
She told Jeremy Damaris that her passion for food only deepened in high school, where she chose Home Science as her favourite subject.
According to the mother of two, she always knew that food was more than just a meal—it was a connection.
After school, she landed her first gig catering a local wedding, where guests raved about her chapati and kachumbari.
"I didn't charge for the service because I had no idea how to bill them," she recalled.
Maria did catering for free
Years later, when she relocated to the United States, Maria found herself cooking authentic Kenyan meals for friends at parties, often for free.
Her joy came from watching homesick Kenyans light up at the taste of mbuzi curry or pilau that tasted just like home.
It was during one of these events that a professor friend tasted her food and was blown away.
"You should be doing this for a living," he told her, and he meant it. He even went ahead and printed flyers to help her market herself.
Source: Youtube
How funeral launched Maria's cooking career
Maria took his advice to heart and slowly started taking on small catering orders in Columbus, Ohio.
“I started with chapati, followed by pilau, and mbuzi curry,” she says with a smile.
But it was a sombre event that opened unexpected doors: when a Kenyan in her community passed away, Maria was asked to cater for the funeral.
Though it was a time of mourning, her food brought comfort, and more people started to notice her.
When did Maria launch food truck?
In 2024, another professor encouraged her to meet a Nigerian woman in her neighbourhood who ran a food truck.
That meeting proved pivotal.
“She walked me through everything, from licensing to where to buy equipment. She even took me to Indiana, where I bought my first truck,” Maria says.
In July 2024, she officially launched her mobile kitchen at the Angaza Festival.
Today, her vibrant truck, decorated with photos of different Kenyan dishes, serves up sizzling samosas, golden mandazis, and flaky chapatis at $2.50 a piece (around KSh 320).
Who are Maria's clients?
While her menu is purely Kenyan, her customer base tells a multicultural story.
“Most of my regulars are Somalis, but I also get Americans, Ethiopians, and Nigerians. For them, I add chicken and fries to the menu,” she shares.
From humble beginnings in Mumbuni to a thriving business in Columbus, Maria’s journey is a story of resilience, culture, and the universal language of food.
She dreams of one day expanding to more trucks, and maybe even a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
But for now, her mobile kitchen continues to feed hearts and homesick bellies, one chapati at a time.
Linda Okello starts lucrative business in US
Linda Okello, a former police officer, is another Kenyan who delved into the murky business world after relocating to the US.
After leaving Kenya under a cloud of controversy, Linda Okello reinvented herself abroad and has been making inspiring moves.
She recently revealed that she’s running a booming car rental business that has her booked solid for months.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
