The owners of Lakeland-based Catapult business Plates on Deck are entertaining foodies across the globe as they compete on the 17th season of The Great Food Truck Race.
Plates on Deck is one of nine teams traveling through the Gulf Coast for a chance to win $50,000 in the culinary competition hosted by celebrity chef Tyler Florence.
The show airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on the Food Network. It is also available on the Discovery+ and Max streaming services.
Message out of the blue: Plates on Deck is a local catering company and pop-up food truck business that specializes in “eclectic soul food.” Owners Ken James, 37, and Ziomara Taveras, 41, said the opportunity to compete on the show came through social media.
“We have been fans of The Great Food Truck Race for some years now but never thought about applying to be one of the participants until we got a (direct message) on social media from a casting producer,” Taveras said.
Origin story: The couple lives in Polk County but is originally from New York City. Taveras is a 2004 graduate of Florida Southern College and her son, Jeremy, is currently a student there.
It was the Florida Southern connection that inspired them to leave New York City and move to Orlando in June of 2020, right after some of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions eased up in Florida.
The couple expanded their business to Lakeland in February 2023, the same year they got engaged. They decided to become members of Catapult, a small business incubator and coworking space in downtown Lakeland.
“We were drawn to Catapult because it offers more than just a commissary kitchen. Catapult offers so many resources and assistance, not only to start a business but also help propel you to the next stages of your business,” Taveras said.
Plates on Deck: James, who goes by “Chef Ken,” said the business originally started in 2019 in New York City, when he started making seafood boils for his coworkers.
“Plates On Deck didn’t start as the catering company you see today. I actually started by making lunch for my coworker after workouts. Then it grew to other coworkers and then to friends and family. As time passed, I started making seafood boils as a means of supplemental income. Things grew from there,” James explained, adding it was Ziomara’s idea to turn it into a food business.
James said back then, he was working in youth development and as a master of ceremonies for weddings, bar mitzvahs and other corporate events.
“I have always loved food and to feed the people I cared about most,” James said.
A setback on the set: James’ passion for food is evident on the show, which premiered on June 30. During episode three, during a contraband entree challenge where the food truck teams were asked to pilfer one food item from another’s food truck, there was an incident where one of the other food truck’s team members spilled milk on seafood in the Plates on Deck truck.
James got highly upset about the cross-contamination of the milk and seafood. Enraged, he threw out the pork his team pilfered from another team, which forced them to be disqualified from the challenge and its $500 prize. Taveras was so upset that she threatened to walk off the show. They eventually calmed down and got through the day of selling food in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
“I’m really glad that we didn’t quit after the spilled milk incident during episode three. We had some setbacks but that incident reminded us that we always need to work as a team and not allow outside factors (to) affect us,” Taveras said.
From last place to first: That day, they had long lines of people waiting to try their award-winning, “Passa Passa Pasta,” which James said is his take on the Rasta Pasta.
“It’s what I call, jerk meets Alfredo. It’s the perfect blend of island spices and traditional Italian flavors. The Passa Passa Pasta was my winning dish at the 2023 FusionFest Culinary Contest Pro Night 2 and it is also one of our best selling pasta dishes on our catering menu. It was a no-brainer for us to bring this award-winning dish to the competition,” James said.
That along with their sold-out deep fried lobster tail and crab cakes propelled them to first place by the end of the episode, a huge jump from the second episode where they came in seventh and narrowly avoided getting kicked off of the show.
“There is a great quote from another Florida legend, “If you ain’t first, you’re last,” (by) Ricky Bobby. We always strive to do our best because our best is the best. It was amazing to see all of our work and perseverance pay off. It was even more rewarding to see the smile on Ziomara’s face while she was sporting her new gold medal,” James recalled.
Next stop, Biloxi: The next episode of The Great Food Truck Race has the teams headed to Biloxi, Mississippi, in their quest to net the most sales and advance toward the $50,000 grand prize at the end of the season.
“Winning the $50,000 would help “Plates On Deck” elevate to the next level by helping us secure a food truck or brick-and-mortar of our own,” James said.
The couple said overall, it’s been a great learning experience participating in the show. It appears they’ve learned as much about running a food business as they’ve learned about each other.
“I got to learn firsthand how much work goes into operating a food truck full-time. We learned that people across the country love the food from Plates On Deck. Most of all, we learned that if we don’t let the outside noise get between us, we can accomplish anything and everything together as a team,” James said.
Business boost: Taveras said the show has helped grow their following locally.
“It’s been amazing so far. The show has definitely put a spotlight on the business. Since being on The Great Food Truck Race, Plates On Deck has been getting so much love from Lakeland,” she said.
“Our following on all social media platforms has grown, and our website traffic has increased. It was also really great to see all the folks from Lakeland who had never heard of Plates On Deck before the show come visit us at our last pop-up at Dixieland Night Market.”
‘It takes a village’: Filming a television show has also come with major sacrifices. James’ cousin, Samuel Jenkins, 32, of Arizona also travels with them on the show. He drives the truck and draws in the customers.
“It didn’t take much to convince my cousin, Sam, to join us on the show. Sam is someone who always believed in my talents and has been a motivating factor since day one. He has been Team Plates On Deck since the very first plate so when I approached him with the opportunity, Sam didn’t hesitate to put his life in Arizona on hold to help us participate in competition,” James said.
The couple also has six children between the two of them.
“We are a blended family with six children between us. During the show we were the living embodiment of ‘It takes a village.’ Thanks to our village we were able to manage to step away and travel with the Great Food Truck Race,” James said.
Other irons in the fire: Besides serving food at different markets and catering events, James said he is currently pursuing a culinary management degree from Valencia College. The couple also sells “Eclectic Soul,” “Cajun Soul” and “Signature Seafood Boil” seasonings on its website.
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