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 the 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*:
Dot’s Nashville Hot Chicken Website
Dot’s Nashville Hot Chicken Facebook
Dot’s Nashville Hot Chicken Instagram
Other episodes you’ll enjoy:
Episode 200 – Did You know that Arkansas has Acres of Diamonds
How To Parent Your Kid Through the Maze of Sports Activities Here in Northwest Arkansas
The Riverman’s Guide to The Kings River Here In Northwest Arkansas
Olivia Trimble is Uniting Northwest Arkansas and Beyond Through Love and Art
This episode is sponsored by*:
Signature Bank was founded here in Northwest Arkansas in 2005 and focuses on personal and community banking. When you bank with a community bank, you’re investing in local businesses, local entrepreneurs, local charities, and causes close to home. They have worked hard to earn their tagline, “Community Banking at its Best.”
You may ask why bank at Signature?
Because they focus on the customer instead of having a branch on every corner, you can have your questions answered by a real person, whether you’re reaching out to the call center or your banker’s cell phone. You can access any ATM in the country without fear of a fee. They will refund all of those fees at the end of every month. Finally, they are constantly improving their digital offerings to ensure you can access the best financial tools from your laptop, phone, or tablet 24 hours a day.
Signature Bank of Arkansas is a full-service bank offering traditional checking and savings accounts, investment accounts, business and personal loans, and mortgages.
Give the folks at Signature Bank a call (479-684-4700) or visit their website Signature.Bank and let them know you heard about them on the I am Northwest Arkansas Podcast.
Signature Bank of Arkansas is a Member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.
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Email info@iamnorthwestarkansas.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
*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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Thank you for listening to this episode of the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast. We showcase businesses, culture, entrepreneurship, and everyday people’s lives, making Northwest Arkansas what it is today.
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