Amazing J3rks: Vieannie and James Wu’s Delicious Startup Story
Founded by Vieannie and James Wu, Da J3rk Spot has been serving Alaskans delicious Guyanese cuisine since opening in May. (Image courtesy of Da J3rk Spot).
On Thanksgiving, I, like many of you, gathered around the table at home with my fellow Fellows in the Alaska Fellows Cohort and gave thanks. I said thanks for the fact that, although 2020 has been nothing short of a roller coaster in, often, all of the worst ways, we were all still healthy and moving forward. I said thanks for the fact that we had all spoken to our families earlier in the day. I said thanks for the fact that we had a delicious array of foods in front of us, while quietly praying that the stuffing that I had pulled together was the perfect combination of crisp and delicious. In addition to these rather conventional hopes and well wishes from the tradition of my Massachusetts origins, there was one other thanks that I provided. “Thank you to those out there who commit themselves, and their businesses, to the betterment of our world.” While this may seem out of left field, it is the thanks that you learn to give if you work in an environment that supports entrepreneurship and innovation. For many companies, being charitable and supportive of the surrounding community is something that comes second to profits and personal ambitions, but for Da J3rk Spot, it is nothing short of the crucial for the company and its mission to feed its customers’ cravings for delicious Caribbean-style food. Their entrepreneurial story highlights the importance of remaining true to customers during both good and bad times, and their hunger to satisfy the hunger of the community that has stood by them.
Vieannie Wu, the founder of Da J3rk Spot, arrived in the United States in 2001 from her home nation of Guyana, settling first in Connecticut before attending Boston College. After a year at BC, a combination of her desire for adventure and adrenaline led her to an eight-year career in the Army, which ended with a duty station in Alaska, a placement she loved and a place where she decided to stay; place that reminded her of Guyana, covered in green with mountains for as far as the eye could see, that brought one word to mind: peace.
After leaving the Army, Vieannie worked for the Park Service, where she began developing and advancing the concept of Da J3rk Spot. While with the Park Service, Vieannie, also ran a side catering business for her friends who were also big fans (to put it mildly) of her food. These same friends were quick to share their thoughts with Vieannie on her cooking: “you should start your own restaurant”. James Wu, her husband, also shared his thoughts with his wife stating, “You should quit [your Park Service job]. I have your back, and you’re really good at what you do, and I really think that you can do this.” Yet, after Vieannie quit her job and set off down her clearly predetermined path of culinary excellence, uncertainty struck.
To Vieannie and many others in the entrepreneurship world, the COVID-19 Pandemic was an unexpected development during an already uncertain time. When COVID hit, “I had already quit my job,” said Vieannie. “I got scared because while I knew that I could cook my food from home, no one here knew what it was. There is nothing like it here. There was a lot of risk starting a company with food that no one had tasted before here. With that all in mind, I took a chance, and knew that I had nothing to lose.” While Vieannie took the lead on creating the culinary excellence and delicious flavors for which Da J3rk Spot would become known, James, supported the startup from the back end. “I come from a dot com background. I have always worked for myself and have been successful with my programs. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone but it is far more gratifying for yourself when you succeed.”
Previously part of a group that owns a series of Wendy’s franchises and a steakhouse, James was a seasoned “numbers, nuts-and-bolts” member of the Da J3rk Spot team. “When you follow your passion, you’ll put that much work into it. You’re not building someone else’s idea, you’re building your own, and nothing is better than that.”
With Vieannie cooking and James in charge of operations, a number of challenges emerged for the new venture that had to be overcome. “During our launch, our biggest challenge, like many entrepreneurs, was cash,” shared Vieannie. “Drawing together the capital, it was very stressful because you do not want to jump in without figuring out what you can do without first determining the lowest overhead costs, without sacrificing quality.”
After dangerous, but skillfully navigated encounters with predator loan lenders, Da J3rk Spot officially launched at Anchorage’s Farmers Market, before hitting their full stride at the Alaska Chicks Festival. “There was one weekend that made the company,” shared James. “If we did not make that pivot, you’re not talking to us today. We made the leap to do the Alaska Chicks Festival in July and in three days, we made more than we did in two months at the market. That is when we realized that this is real!” Da J3rk Spot went on to establish a brick-and-mortar location, thanks in large part to their success during this festival weekend.
Although Vieannie and James say a customer favorite is the J3rk Chicken, they note that it’s important to never underestimate the sauce. “I think it’s the J3rk Chicken and the J3rk Sauce, because the J3rk Sauce is very unique,” said Vieannie with a laugh. “The sauce and the chicken go hand-in-hand with each other. I would say that our sauce is more popular than our J3rkerk Chicken.”
Through their venture, Vieannie and James have gone one step further into the realm of entrepreneurial generosity through their “Leading With Kindness” initiative: the antithesis of being a jerk. This program, which saw 60 free J3rk Chicken sandwiches handed out to Anchorage’s most needy residents, originated from a place of kindness.
“When I was really young growing up in Guyana, I grew up really poor, sometimes we did not have food,” said Vieannie. “Food was one of the things that brought us together back home. One day I was driving with my kids, and they realized that there were a number of homeless people laying on the ground and they started asking ‘why are they on the streets?’. I had to explain that some people are not as fortunate as us, and that everyone goes through a bad time. I realized that not everyone understands it. So we went out during the summer and I would take my kids and we would make PBJ or turkey sandwiches and would hand them out. Everyone would come up to the car and it was initially scary. But people were so appreciative and one of the residents asked ‘why are you doing this?’ and I told her ‘my kids.’' With a caring heart open to Anchorage’s most vulnerable, Vieannie’s lesson is one that rings true for both her children, and for us, as readers.
These are uncertain times, and the only thing that cuts through cliche is commonality, which is, naturally, our love of food. Yet, a love of food can sometimes translate into a love of us, whether for personal reasons such as starting a company, or for communal reasons, such as supporting those who need our support most. This is the third startup story that I have written so far, and while the others have held their own entrepreneurial charm in various respects, there is something about Da J3rk Spot’s story that strikes me as the true embodiment of the American Dream. Whether it is the story of a 21st century Immigrant finding their place, or the story of a person supporting another person, it is impossible to dispute the rawness and purity of this entrepreneurial story. This and the flavors of a delicious J3rk Chicken Sandwich, are anything but disputable...