How Our Story Began
We'll save you from the mushy stuff and try to make a long story short. Charity and I met a little over 30 years ago on the first day of 5th grade at Poy Sippi Elementary School. This is not a story of love at first sight. Actually, we didn't really talk much or even hang out while we were in school. Just the usual friendly classmates. That is until we lost touch for a while because my family and I moved and changed schools before we graduated high school. After graduation, we went our separate ways and both of us built our lives around work and family with other spouses. So it took us a little while to reconnect. But, when we finally did get together we formed a personal and professional partnership that produced an exceptional team. However, since Charity usually has her own thing going on, this part of our story is all about me and my dream.
Being born into a traditional Polish family, food was always an important factor in my life. Growing up, food was always part of every celebration, holiday, and family gathering. As such, I spent a big portion of my childhood watching and helping my grandmother cook for many of those various occasions, so it was only natural to eventually end up working in food service.
The idea of Hangry Dave's began when I was only 16 years old while I was working at a riverside hotel and restaurant near my hometown. I began working in the kitchen as a dishwasher but was quickly taken under the wing of the chef where I began to learn about the prep work and skills necessary to operate the whole kitchen and it didn't take long to graduate to a line cook position. Shortly after my 18th birthday I started managing parts of the restaurant. It was about that time that I knew I loved the industry and wanted to someday share my love of cooking with other people. The rest, as they say, is history.
What about the name, you say? Well, that's actually just who I am, and I apologize in advance for anything I say when I'm hungry. It's nothing personal, just don't be surprised if you lose a finger if you get in between me and my dinner.
The Obsession is Born
If I were to ask you to tell me about the best steak you've ever had, what would you tell me? Would you describe the flavor? The texture? How juicy it was? Or, would you tell me about the experience, who was with you, or how it made you feel?
The reason I ask is because I've had a life long obsession with steak. I really shouldn't say steak but rather meat in general. Some people have a sweet tooth. I have a meat tooth; like at times I seriously crave meat. Vegetables too, but a good steak is right at the top of my list of things that I dream about most.
My obsession started when I was very young thanks to spending a lot of time at my maternal grandparents house. My maternal grandparents were Polish immigrants that came to the United States about 1950. They originally settled on Chicago's south side but then left the city in the early 1970's to finally settle near a very small unincorporated town called Borth, in Waushara County, Wisconsin. Like many Polish families my grandparents had a large family and they would get together every Sunday for dinner. Just about all of my fondest memories from when I was young involve hunting and fishing with my grandfather or helping my grandmother cook dinner. Many of those dinners included wild game or fish that my grandfather brought home or vegetables that my grandmother grew in her garden, but for some reason it's the steak that I remember the most. I'm not sure if it was because it was so good or because it was such a rare treat. Knowing my grandmother's cooking, it was probably both. Either way it was amazing and her love of cooking for her family was very apparent and for me it manifested in an obsession with steak.
The First Job
One of the benefits of helping my grandmother with her cooking is that I found that I really enjoyed it. So much so that when I was 16 I started working at a local restaurant as a dishwasher; which turned into a promotion to prep cook, then line cook, lead cook, and then by the time I turned 18 I was managing parts of the restaurant. Before I even graduated high school I knew that someday I wanted to start my own business and share my love of cooking with other people. Thus, the idea of Hangry Dave's was born.
Sadly, shortly after I started working at that restaurant my grandmother passed away. She had been battling cancer for a while and I'm not lying when I say that it left a bit of a hole in my heart. I was very close to her which very well might be the reason I've been trying to find a steak as good as hers ever since.
A Step in the Right Direction
Anyway, in the spring of 2019 I thought that Hangry Dave's had found a home as a brick and mortar restaurant right on Main Street of Poy Sippi, Wisconsin. But, then COVID happened and that really threw a wrench into the works. We spent the next 3 years remodeling the building, all the while experiencing a number of setbacks that just kept pushing the goal further and further away.
Ultimately we decided that being tied down to Main Street Poy Sippi didn't feel like the right plan. It's funny how often the really good story books leave off right where they started. The cool part is that this story is still being written.
The Dream Come True
After sowing the seeds so very long ago, Hangry Dave's LLC has finally sprouted. At the beginning of April 2024 all of the necessary applications were submitted to the state and counties so that we can operate and provide catering and food truck/trailer services. As of now we have obtained the license that allows us to set up our temporary food service accommodations at public events.
We're currently awaiting the final inspections and approval of our license to operate our retail establishment and catering services. With a little luck we should receive our license around the first week of May 2024.
Update:
As of May 1st, 2024 Hangry Dave's is fully licensed and insured to provide private catering services and mobile food services at public events.
Thank you to all of our supporters. We hope to see you all very soon.
