Struggling food truck owner finds ally in hungry Plano pizza shop owner

PLANO, Texas - A woman who opened her restaurant in the middle of the pandemic at times did not know how she was going to make it work. Another business owner reached out to help.

Juline Mathe took a leap of faith and started a business during the pandemic.

FOX 4 interviewed her about the new restaurant, Renee’s Jerk Chicken, in November.

"I actually come from a family of chefs born and raised in Jamaica," she said.

The Frisco mother left her career as a flight attendant hoping to fulfill a dream and protect her daughter, who is considered high-risk because of an underlying health condition.

"So for probably a solid month and a half we were doing amazing. And then all of a sudden it just got dead," Mathe said.

People loved her food but she ran into roadblocks struggling to find places to park her food truck.

"Our chicken is cooked on-site so it’s not like it’s something we can reuse. I was losing so much money," she said.

A pizza shop owner in Plano with a craving for Jamaican food saw Mathe’s story on FOX 4 and called her up.

But what he found was a woman on the verge of giving up.

"I called her and said, ‘Hey, what are your hours? I want to buy some of the food.’ And she was very depressed. And she said well we don’t have a spot or whatever," said Ram Mehta, the owner of In-Fretta Pizza and Wings.

Mehta knew he could help her.

"I texted her and said, ‘Hey if I can be of any help. You can just park right across from my restaurant," he said.

"So wait a minute. You own a restaurant and you want me to bring my mobile restaurant and park in front of your business? Okay, what’s it going to cost me? And he’s like, ‘Nothing. Just come bring your truck, sell your chicken. You know, I just want you to win,’" Mathe said.

Once homeless, Mehta knows hardships.

The now successful business owner started a movement called Everyone Eatz, which organizes free food giveaways. It’s a result of a promise to his late mother and a vow to always give back.

"He’s just been amazing. I call him my fairy godfather," Mathe said.

"No! I’m from New York. No fairy godfather. The queens!" Mehta joked.

The two are now committed to working together.

Renee’s Jerk Chicken sells out regularly and the Everyone Eatz initiative grows bigger with each passing day.

This past Saturday marked more than half a million meals handed out by the organization.