From Tampa Bay to Germany: Local food truck goes international
- Mark Parker
- 24 hours ago
- 3 min read
Narja Campbell never planned to open a food truck. Serendipity said otherwise, and he is now taking Son of a Brisket to Germany.
The native Texan launched Tampa Bay-based Campbell’s Catering in 2019. However, something was missing: Authentic barbecue that would make his home state proud.
An opportunity presented itself, Campbell explained, in the form of an aunt who had what he initially thought was a “little smoker on a trailer” for sale that could augment his catering menu. He purchased a full-fledged food truck instead, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Campbell, undeterred, opened Son of a Brisket in late 2020. “It wasn’t something that was planned, but it was something that was in God’s plan,” he said of the food truck.
Son of a Brisket subsequently exploded in popularity, but not before Campbell paid his dues by traveling to various apartment complexes throughout Tampa Bay and hawking barbecue.“That is how we got our name out in the community,” he said.
The food truck soon became a fixture at the Saturday Shoppes and other area festivals and sporting events. Campbell’s family-owned business gained national exposure when the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg selected him to serve as the event’s sole barbecue vendor.
“The community of St. Pete, if they support you, they go out and support you,” Campbell said. “St. Pete shows us love.”
Campbell hoped to parlay his experience with the Grand Prix into a spot at a prominent Oktoberfest in Germany. His brother-in-law owns three restaurants in the country and offered to help facilitate the food truck’s European debut.
Those conversations soon evolved into an opportunity for a pop-up restaurant at one of his German brother-in-law’s establishments, Campbell said. A successful, month-long trial run that began in February sealed Son of a Brisket’s status as an international entity.
“So, what we plan on doing is just a couple more pop-ups, then getting all the paperwork filled out, and then heading over to get an actual building,” Campbell said. “It feels good. It’s kind of surreal, all at the same time.”
Campbell recalled an advisor welcoming him to the world of business ownership after securing his license in 2019. “And then seeing everything grow, the tears of joy, the tears of sadness, and flying across the pond to go and set up and do barbecue - it’s awesome. It’s a great feeling,” he said.
A stateside brick-and-mortar location for Son of a Brisket is “definitely in the future,” Campbell said. “If I had my choice, I would open it up in St. Pete first.”
Campbell, who also bottles his own sauce locally, credited his success to offering something not readily available in Tampa Bay. “I tell people all the time, being from Texas, it’s hard for me to find good barbecue out here,” he said.
He also dispelled the myth that running a food truck is easy work. Campbell, who has 28 years of experience in the hospitality industry, noted that owners “wear every hat, from dishwasher to marketer.”
When asked what he would say to others who hope to replicate his success, Campbell, who still operates his catering company, said: "Just don’t give up.” Most entrepreneurs will know if they made the right decision within the first year, and those who struggle should remember that most people “won’t even try.”
“Once you figure out if it is going to be successful, then just attack it like you’ve never attacked anything else,” Campbell continued. “There’s going to be long nights, long days, sleepless nights, sleepless days, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.”
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