- There's actually a jar floating around somewhere.
- Ooh!
- I have a jar of kraut.
- So, I would like to present this to you.
- Thank you!
- You're welcome. Enjoy it.
- Listen, the last time I got it,
I was so upset because my husband ate the whole thing.
I was like, dude, how do you eat
like, a whole jar of kraut?
- Easy.
My name is Tren'ness Woods-Black,
Harlem's queen of hospitality
and the granddaughter of Sylvia Woods,
the Queen of Soul Food.
Over the past 25 years,
I've made my mark in the culinary world as an entrepreneur,
philanthropist, and event curator.
My heart has always been in Harlem,
so I'll be sitting down for a one-on-one conversation with
local culinary voices to find out where they started,
how they're building for their future
and their deep ties to our beloved village.
Dawn! Oh my god!
- Hi Tren'ness, how are you?
- Muah! Muah!
You look amazing!
- Thank you, so do you.
- Well, welcome. Have a seat.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Oh my goodness. All right.
Dawn, it is so good to see you,
especially to see you not behind the counter or the cart.
- That's correct. I'm happy to be here.
- Tell everyone who you are.
- Well, I'm Dawn Demry,
I'm the owner of The Little Hotdog Wagon.
I'm located at 123rd Street and Lenox Avenue
for the last three and a half years.
I would say my dad inspired me.
He is a retired fire officer and I've watched him for years
compete in Real Men Cook right here in Harlem.
He's won numerous times with his own recipes.
- Yes.
- So I learned how to cook from my dad.
And now I have a homemade kraut
and other delicious food that I sell off of my wagon.
- You're the saleswoman, you are the creator of the recipe.
So, why don't you tell everyone all of the things that they
need to know about how you got started?
- Yeah. I can't make this stuff up.
I was working for CUNY.
I was laid off three or four times and my uncle had this
custom made wagon that I had been after for years.
And every time I would ask, he would say no,
but this last time, when I was laid off from CUNY,
I couldn't even get the words out of my mouth.
He said, yes, take it. You can have it.
And so I started peddling around and
I upgraded to the trailer that I have now.
So, now I'm able to expand my menu.
I make my own vegan hot dogs now,
I make my own vegan sausages, you know I make my kraut.
- I was super excited for you..
- Thank you.
- when you were selected to come
into the Harlem Local Vendors Program.
- Whole Foods was having an event where
the vendors were showcasing their stuff.
I packed up, I produced all this kraut.
I had my family there, I had my son,
my son had his girlfriend there,
but I was actually a stowaway.
I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be there.
So, Nikoa Evans-Hendricks
from Harlem Park to Park,
she was so professional.
She came over to me and she whispered,
"I know you got your whole family here,"
She said,
"but you don't belong here. If you just pack up nicely,
I'll show you how you can get into the
Harlem Local Vendor program."
And that's what I did, I packed up nicely,
I told my family, went across the street,
but then I bought my kraut back.
- Yes, yes.
- And remember when I said that
all you have to do is taste it.
So, I let her and everyone at Whole Foods taste it.
They loved it.
They even made hot dogs inside Whole Foods that day.
And before you know it, I was a part of the program.
And today I am not only in Key Food stores,
some local Key Food stores,
but it's in local Fine Fair stores,
four Super Foodtown stores,
my product is on Etsy,
Amazon, it's in Columbia University dining halls.
- Now, that's what I was waiting for you to get to.
- Daddy, she made it.
- I told him that I was going to take
my kraut to the next level. He said, "Do it."
- So for you, the cart, it had to be in Harlem.
Tell me why.
- My dad. My dad's family's from Harlem.
My dad's firehouse was right in the
heart of Harlem on 125th Street.
Harlem has always welcomed me.
I get so much support down on 123rd Street.
And there's so many vegan customers.
That's what prompted me to
start making my own vegan hot dogs,
my own vegan sausage, my veggie burgers,
because I want to cater to the Harlem community.
- So, is there like, a vision for
a big Little Hot Dog Wagon?
- The sky's the limit.
I'm actually going to have
trailer number two come Spring 2022.
- Congratulations!
- I don't believe I'm ready for a brick and mortar
at this point, but I want to continue that,
and maybe franchise.
Recently, I was asked by CUNY to have my trailer
on their Bronx campuses.
- That is- wait, that's fantastic!
Now, I do remember you saying that once upon a time,
CUNY laid you off and that's how this whole thing started.
- I can't make this up. It's a full circle.
It's a, a blessing and a curse.
That's how I look at it. I was laid off from my job
and as a result of that, here I am today.
Who knows what tomorrow will hold?
- Thank you. Thank you for..
- Thank you so much.
- for listening to the community
because this village is so special
and I am so happy to have been able to just witness
a small part of your journey, because-
- Thank you, Tren'ness.
- I know that the future is going to be super bright,
- Thank you, so much.
- God bless, cornbread hugs.
- Cornbread hugs.