The Pandemic Pushed Eric Davies To Take Puff Truck Pizza From Side Hustle To His Families’ Livelihood

by Jensen Cummings

Eric Davies found himself (like many others) laid off due to the Pandemic. He had to come face to face with the impossibly difficult question of, “now what?” Eric has always been inspired by his own family legacy with tales of his grandfather having his own larger than life restaurant. Yet, when it came to a career path, he heard the all too common, “you won’t make a dime” and felt the need to get a “real job.” The call to the restaurant biz was ever present and in 2016, he with the help of his brother, slapped together a food truck with a food concept idea harkening back to his school days. The side hustle, Puff Truck Pizza, was born. Staying pragmatic he kept the 9-5 and worked on the truck on weekends and holidays. It made a couple bucks and it fed his need to bring fun, deliciousness, and a new type of “pizza,” the handmade puff, to his community in Elburn, Illinois. Hand Made, Every Time. A handmade puff is a deep fried pizza dough pocket that can be “filled with just about anything,” as Eric puts it.

Now with 100% focus on the food truck business and aspirations to grow regionally and nationally, we find Eric looking to really develop his brand’s story, his mission, and cement Why You Exist. This first episode, Puff, A Pizza Story, kicks off the Best Served New Vol3 series. We dig into the why behind the work to unlock those unique elements of the value Puff Truck Pizza, what it offers to the market. We always want to ensure that your Mission Story cannot be copy/paste by any other business because it is so detailed and focused on your story. Check out the video episode or the audio podcast to learn all about this process and how Eric has laid down the groundwork to have pride in ownership, overcome any challenge, find personal success, and further establish his family legacy.

Basic utility is something that can be commoditized, replicated, and replaced easily. Existing business owners want partners that dig in with them. 7shifts brings value through direct support to thousands of restaurants and over 400,000 employees. It’s their ability to scale one-on-one relationships that makes Best Served thrilled to have 7shifts underwrite Best Served New.

Jensen Cummings is a fifth-generation Chef & Certified Cicerone based in Denver, CO. His brands’ Best Served Creative and Best Served Podcast exist solely to unlock and amplify the worth and work of those who feed their community. From chefs to restaurant pros to farmers and every one in between, this work manifests with storytelling media, coaching, and strategy meant to acknowledge and empower people to do what they were meant to do. He is committed to hustle and communicate everyday to serve this mission. When he’s not out building a new model for restaurants that’s equitable, profitable, and sustainable, he’s spending precious time as a husband, a father, movie buff, beer nerd, and fan of the LA Dodgers.