EaRTh: So, do you earn enough money to make a living, Dion? 

Chef Green: I would say that it’s good, just put it that way. I quit my casual job to do this full time. Yeah, I was working a casual job before this. 

EaRTh: You were working as a chef? 

Chef Green: No, no, no. So, I was working for Kaiser [a large healthcare system in the United States]. Not as a chef. So, what happened was, I was working for Kaiser for four days, and on my off days, which was Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, I would do my chef job. So, I was literally working seven days a week: four at Kaiser and three on my off days.

EaRTh: That’s a lot of work.

Chef Green: Yeah. So, I was just like, you know, why am I pouring into y'all company, making Kaiser more money, when I can be doing my own thing? Because I wasn't really focusing on my own business. 

EaRTh: And you love this, right? You love cooking?

Chef Green: Absolutely. That's what I tell people… that’s why I took the leap of faith. I love Kaiser, but it wasn't always about the money for me. Because being at Kaiser, you're going to see a lot. I've seen thousands of people pass away in Kaiser. It's just all types of stuff, because the elderly, just things happen at Kaiser. But, you know, it became a mind troubling thing for me.

So, I was just like, you know what? I think I'm going to leave this job and focus on my business. And my wife, you know, she supported that always. She's like, you sure that's what you want to do, babe? I said, yeah. And plus, my son was just being born too. So, I wanted to become a full-time father rather than just putting him in day-care. 

Chef Green setting up his portable food stall at the corner of 7th Street and Peralta in West Oakland (California, United States).

EaRTh: That's awesome.

Chef Green: Everything happens for a reason, you know. So, you're doing a job where you can look after your family. And also do what you love. It gets tough though. It's not easy. You know, because like I said, every day everybody's not gonna want no fish, nor tacos. So, there's times where, you know, you're going to make your money. And other times when you're not going to make your money. Sometimes, you're going to break even. It's all the nature of ups and downs of the fluctuation. You know, how things fluctuate in the culinary world or whatever you want to call it. 

EaRTh: What inspires you? How do you determine what menu you're going to make? What food you're going to make? 

Chef Green: I kind of go off the customer's appreciation. As far as like, since I was known for tacos, I always wanted to keep it Taco Tuesday. But thought I’d switch it up. So, now the way I rotate my menu is that I take polls on Instagram, giving them [the customers] the option. Like, hey y'all, so do y'all want tacos on Tuesday or fish? Most voted for fish today because I gave them tacos last Tuesday. 

EaRTh: That's pretty cool. So, you're making food by consensus? 

Chef Green: Yeah, so that's how I do it by consensus now. But every Friday is always Fish Friday. You know, my followers are saying, Chef, man, we need more days of your fish. Not just one day. So, that's why I'm glad they voted for fish today. 

EaRTh: Is that normally how street food vendors select their daily menus? By asking other people what they want to eat? 

Chef Green: Not necessarily. It's just the way I do it because this is my way of letting the crowd, letting my followers know that I appreciate y'all. Like, y'all voice matters as well. Like I said, I've had family come from Fresno, three-hour drive, just to come here and get tacos. But it wasn't what they were looking for. They wanted fish. So, me thinking like, hey, how can I improve? I started making polls. Like, what do y'all want on this day? So, if you're coming from afar, y'all will vote for what y'all want. 

Piping hot fried fish and French fries!

EaRTh: That's pretty cool. 

Chef Green: So, that was a way for me to kind of really engage with my followers. And then, like I said, I'm always trying to grow myself. So, there's times I've made posts on my Instagram saying, I appreciate all y'all's support, but is there anything that I can do better on y'all’s behalf? Some of them say, hey, Chef, I wish you were just a little bit more on time. And that's okay. I've learned to take constructive criticism well. That's how you grow. And there's times I'm a little late because, like I said, I know everybody only get a 20 or 30-minute lunch. You know what I'm saying? I don't feel pressure. But it let them know, okay, he's serious. He care about our time. And that's one thing: I'm very customer-based. I'm customer-oriented, you know. 

EaRTh: But, Chef Green, there are not a lot of people here. So, who is your customer base? 

Chef Green: Oh, you'll see if you're still here. Like I said, there's times where people will come. Is it even 12 o'clock yet? [looking down at his watch] It's 12 o'clock exactly. You'll start seeing people pulling up. And also, there's times where I'll get here, folks will just be sitting in their car. Then by the time 12:30 come, I'll be like, oh, I'm late. 

EaRTh: But they're coming because they know you. They're not here because they're just walking by.

Chef Green: Well, yeah, they're coming because they know me. Most of them already know my scheduled days here because we follow each other on social media. So they'll know, like, oh, I know to come there and get my food before the crowd comes. They see. They see what the crowd looks like, you know [he turns to focus on frying the fish].

EaRTh: Don't let me stop you. 

Chef Green: Oh, no, you're good. You're good.