Today we’d like to introduce you to John Collazo.
While sticking their toes in the sand, Chef John Collazo and his wife talked about their next move. They talked about the possibility of moving to New York, Georgia, or Orlando, but they knew there was something big and awesome on the horizon. They both looked at each other, and Chef John exclaimed, “Hey! What about a food truck?!”
The idea was born. Chef John and his wife decided on Orlando. It’s near the beach, and there’s plenty of sunshine. It’s perfect. Chef John had a buddy who just happened to have a gutted-out van at his pawnshop for sale. All of the stars started to align. Food trucks have little overhead, and they did not have to come up with lots of money to get their truck ready for business.
After being in the food industry since he was 16, Chef John wanted a change that would fulfill his passion for combining flavors and putting them in the perfect vessel, sandwiches. Bad A’s Sandwiches was a no-brainer. His rebellious personality resonates in passion for food and love for everything Bad Ass. Everything from the menu to the logo created by Chef John’s nephew to the name is simply Bad As’s.
After six months of hanging out in SODO in early 2015, Bad As’s Sandwiches was kicked out from the thrift shop the setup shop at due to code enforcement. Chef John and his wife to opened up their Rolodex to make contacts and find locations for their food truck. The eviction was a blessing in disguise. After only one week out of the SODO district, their following increased by five times!
Bad As’s Sandwiches patrons had a craving for their menu, including their braised pork belly sandwich, the Ninja, their most famous. They kept coming back for more. Another problem arose. Chef John and his wife needed more space and a professional kitchen. The Bad As’s Sandwiches customers had spoken, it was time to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant to satiate their cravings seven days a week. Now they have two physical locations and planning a third one.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course not; being an entrepreneur is super hard but the rewards are much greater; my wife even had two heat strokes and almost died due to being so hot inside our food trailer.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We specialize in very unorthodox chef-designed sandwiches, our meats are made in-house and we make our potato chips fresh daily. What sets us apart from others is, first of all, our name, lol and our in-your-face flavored sandwiches. The most I am proud of is the fact that we get to nurture people and by doing so our employees can provide for their families and that’s an incredible feeling and brand wise is that we have a really big and bright pylon sign with our logo at our second location on a major road in Orlando. If you wanna take a risk from the ordinary, then come give us a try.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I always stay mentally focused and disciplined; someone once told me plan, you work and work your plan, I follow that rule and apply it to my daily routine and I am having a blast!
Contact Info:
- Email: badasssandwiches@gmail.com
- Website: www.badasssandwiches.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badass_sandwich/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badasssandwich
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnCollazo2
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCep_e_n1UbQ9qWYcTPH-_fw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bad-ass-sandwich-orlando
