Courtesy photo
From a food cart to a food truck to a brick and mortar location serving up hot dogs, burgers and more, Bo Gonzalez and Bravas has experienced impressive growth in the Fort Wayne community since 2011. We caught up with one of the city's most successful young restaurateurs in today's entrepreneurship spotlight.
What made you decide to open a business in Fort Wayne?
I think being born and raised here has a lot to do with it. When I started Bravas back in 2011 there was a lack of local food trucks/restaurants ran by local entrepreneurs so that was also a big part of the motivation to open in Fort Wayne - tons of opportunity.
What resource in the community has helped you thrive in the community?
I would have to say the other small business owners in the city. There's a great community of local entrepreneurs that have been super helpful. Getting to talk to another person about real life business challenges/successes has been huge for my own success.
What is the biggest challenge you have worked to overcome in starting your business?
Growth. We have grown pretty quickly over the last five-six years and that brings about so many challenges like staffing, sourcing more ingredients, investing company capital, training, etc.
What person has helped you the most in your journey?
This is hard because so many people have helped myself and Bravas get to where we are. If I have to pick it's gotta be Mom and Dad. They were on board from the beginning and have continued to support us in so many ways. My mom even named the company.
What is some advice you would have for new entrepreneurs?
Do work that makes you feel good everyday. You're going to work insane hours so love what you do. Take breaks when needed and take care of yourself mentally and physically. Great work demands a lot.
What would be the best thing Fort Wayne could do for entrepreneurs in your opinion?
This is hard because I feel Fort Wayne is actually pretty great for entrepreneurs. Maybe some sort of incentive for local options as opposed to chain, out of state options. For example if a grocery store wanted to open downtown, open it up to a local entrepreneur first before getting bids from larger chains.
