Bro-Ritos Food Truck Wins Two New Jersey Black Business Awards

Bro-Ritos Food Truck, an Old Bridge, NJ-based food truck company, has been honored in two categories (“New Business” and “Young Entrepreneurs”) by NJ Black Businesses’ NJBB Best in Black Business Awards.  The Awards, now in their third year, recognize New Jersey firms that are “of high integrity, produce quality products or services, and operate with exceptional excellence.”

“We’re thrilled to be recipients of the BIBB Awards from NJBB,” says Bro-Ritos co-founder Marcus Crawford, who owns the company with his partner Jonathan Gibbs.  “To be recognized for the work that we’re doing and the delicious food that we’re serving to our customers and corporate clients is incredibly gratifying.”

Crawford is a 2005 graduate of Old Bridge High School.  In 2010, he earned Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degrees in both Marketing and Real Estate from Florida International University’s Landon Undergraduate School of Business in Miami.  After owning and operating a food truck with Original Soupman, he decided to build his own brand – and create his own unique recipes using all natural, non-GMO ingredients – with Bro-Ritos in 2016.

Over the past two years, Bro-Ritos – which is New Jersey’s first and only specialty burrito food truck – has introduced unique recipes to the market, including a Chipotle Chicken Bro! (pulled baked chicken with sautéed onions, roasted peppers, tomatoes, and homemade chipotle sauce) and a Hot Cheetos Bro! (ground beef, guacamole, spicy queso cheese, hot Cheetos and sour cream).  The company has catered weddings, graduation parties, birthday parties, and other private events as well as corporate events for such clients as Verizon, Party City, Coach, Enterprise, and Novo Nordisk.  They’ve also been part of the Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival, featured on the TLC’s reality TV series “Cake Boss”, and are on the road across the state throughout the year.

Crawford attributes much of Bro-Ritos’ organizational success to his participation in BLUE-RAP (Black and Latino Urban Entrepreneurship – Retail Acceleration Program), which is a 13 week program for New Jersey retail business and restaurant owners that’s offered by the Rutgers University Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.  BLUE-RAP provides retail and restaurant entrepreneurs with training in business management, marketing, accounting, site selection, and other areas of operations to grow and expand their companies.

“BLUE-RAP helped us get a complete understanding of the importance of keeping our books and our finances in order,” says Crawford, who has launched a web-based reality show based on the Bro-Ritos adventures on their YouTube channel.  “We now know that a company’s financials tell a story, and that it’s the most important part of a business.  We use what we learned in BLUE-RAP daily in the operation of Bro-Ritos.”

In 2019, Bro-Ritos plans to expand its reach and diversify its menu.

“We’ll be looking to open up a storefront restaurant in the new year, and also to get a second truck on the road,” says Crawford.  “Our menu offerings will include seafood options as well as some secret surprises.  Both of these moves are consistent with our strategy of providing a fun and memorable experience to our customers that will solidify our market position as the premier burrito food truck in the state.”

About The Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (CUEED)

The Rutgers University Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (CUEED) is the first center of its kind in the nation to integrate scholarly works with private capital, government, and non-profit sectors to develop citywide resources and bring renewed economic growth and vitality through urban entrepreneurship. We promote and foster a new generation of urban entrepreneurs who actively seek socially conscious urban renaissance.