Johnny Huff ⎜Room for Everybody at the Table
/Join community luminaries, Johnny Huff and John Washington for an energizing episode of Black Beat. Founded in 2017, Everybody Eats PDX is a labor of love produced by Chef Johnny and his business partner, Chef Marcell Goss. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, both graduated culinary school locally and have built an eatery that has garnered a reputation for giving back to the community in ways big and small. From food locally sourced using the finest Oregon/Washington ingredients, to Huff and Goss' commitment to feeding activists and community members turning out in the streets for Black Lives, Everybody Eats PDX is a business worthy of support and a model worth replicating.
What Black Beat Host, John Washington and Johnny Huff talk about:
The inspiration for Everybody Eats PDX
Huff's non-profit, Black and Blue PDX a novel approach to addressing the tension that often exists between Black youth and police officers
The impact of COVID-19 pandemic upon the business
Challenges and successes of being a Black Business and Non-Profit owner
Advice for other aspiring restauranteurs seeking to get into the industry
Links to support Everybody Eats PDX and the work of Black and Blue
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Everybody Eats PDX, isn't just a hub for down-home Southern comfort food: Founded in 2016, Everybody Eats PDX is a labor of love produced by Chef Johnny Huff and his business partner, Chef Marcell Goss. "I knew I wanted to work for myself but didn't know what to do," shared Huff. "Cooking brings me joy and was the only thing I could see myself doing, so I took it seriously, learned the in's and out's, got mentors, and launched the Everybody Eats brand."
Johnny Huff and Marcell Gross are business partners in Everybody Eats PDX
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, both Huff and Goss graduated culinary school locally and have built an enterprise that has garnered a reputation for giving back to the community in ways big and small. From food locally sourced using the finest Oregon/Washington ingredients, to Huff and Goss' commitment to feeding activists and community members turning out in the streets for Black Lives, Everybody Eats PDX is a business worthy of support and a model worth replicating. Previously located in SE Portland and currently anticipating it's grand opening in a new location in the Pearl District, the restaurant is well known for their commitment to food security. Anyone walking through the door who identifies as food-insecure gets significantly discounted meals and every order placed helps cover the cost of a meal for someone struggling to eat. Users who identify as food insecure may complete a survey to begin receiving discounts https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T929QHF or come to the restaurant from lists provided by local food banks that they are partnered with.
In addition to the Everybody Eats brand, their nonprofit, Black and Blue PDX, works toward fostering understanding and positive connections between young Black Portlanders and police officers in an attempt to keep Black youth out of the criminal justice system.
"It was Marcel's idea, a nonprofit he had before I met him," Huff explained. "The way it works is kids and officers partner to make a meal of their choice or something we choose together and talk about their lives so when they see each other in the streets, they already know each other. When you actually know a kid, maybe you are not so quick to draw your gun and instead sympathize with him and he in turn is more likely to do what the officer said and encourages his buddies to do the same. This leads to less young people that we have to say RIP to."
Despite having a solid vision and clientele base, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon the business was profound. "Before COVID, the catering business was big," Huff remembered. "We had big contracts and catered big events. Once COVID hit, we had to adjust. We could have shut down, but we had employees counting on us and their income so we kept going and restructured with help from MESO, Rosewood Initiative, local companies like APANO, SEI and other entities that helped keep us afloat. We also got a grant through the CARES act when catering dropped 90 percent. That definitely helped us through," he said.
Huff puts to good use all he has learned over the years from the challenges and successes of being a Black Business and Non-Profit owner. His advice for upcoming and aspiring restaurateurs is to keep overhead low and quality consistently high. "It's not like selling any other product or merchandise," he cautions. "Food prices are going up and I would say that saving is important. You don't know when problems will arise or when you will need to fix equipment. To save money, I would suggest doing as much of the work yourself before you outsource labor.”
In conclusion, Huff advises that consistency and originality are the keys to success. "The most important thing is to stay consistent, always stay authentic, carve your own lane, blaze your own path and stand out from the rest. Believe in yourself even when no one else believes in you. I kept going and kept believing even when I thought I could never even sell a few plates of food. My secret is not showing my hand. People never know what to expect from us, what's next or what's coming. They have come to expect that it's always something crazy with us," he said with a laugh.
To contact Everybody Eats PDX, call or visit:
Phone: (503) 318-1619
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everybodyeatsPDX/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybodyeats503/?hl=en
