Meet Alison Brown | Food Trucker & School Administrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alison, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Throughout my life I have always been an independent and hard working person. I come from a line of hard workers. My mom is a teacher and my dad is a self-employed contractor. My three siblings are also teachers and they work hard to raise their families. My brother, a special education teacher, is also a self-employed contractor. He works tirelessly outside of his school work hours to provide for his family. Having a strong work ethic seems to come naturally to me and my family. In addition, leadership roles have found me throughout my life. As a youth and young adult, I was a competitive athlete and often served in the role as captain of the teams I was playing on. After high school, I was fortunate enough to be recruited to participate in college athletics, where I also served as a team captain. While planning for college and a career, business ownership never crossed my mind. My natural path seemed to lead toward athletics, coaching, and teaching, like my older siblings, mother, and grandmother. After college, I immediately jumped into full-time employment as a New Hampshire public school teacher. The first half of my teaching career included teaching and coaching while I also attended graduate school, part-time. The first supervisor I had, my building principal, assigned me to the role of ‘team leader’ and encouraged me to earn a masters degree in educational leadership. So, I did. After teaching for ten years, and earning a masters degree in educational leadership, I spent the next 10 years serving as a school administrator. In 2010, as an assistant principal, I was again encouraged by my building principal to continue my education so that I could continue to grow as a leader. So, I did. By the end of 2018, I was in my third year as a building principal and earned a Doctor of Education, EdD.

Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, many changes occurred in my life. As the school year started, I relocated my home and was a newlywed, driving nearly 90 minutes each way to work. I knew that at the end of the school year, I would be resigning from the principal position and leaving the then current school district, but I was not sure where I would be working. I knew I didn’t want to drive 90 minutes to work. I knew I had the degree and experience necessary to obtain a role as a building administrator in another school, closer to my home. I knew that if I continued working the long hours required of a school administrator I would not be able to see my husband and step-son very often. What I did want was: 1) have the ability to make my own work schedule; 2) have fun working hard in a less stressful role; and 3) spend more time with my friends and family. That was it. Those were the driving forces and thought process behind my decision to become a small business owner. I wanted to have a higher quality of life, living happier with less stress, spending more time with friends and family, while still working hard.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Currently, I own and operate a licensed food truck in the state of New Hampshire. My food truck, Koda’s Grill, is named after my oldest dog, Koda. We serve delicious breakfast sandwiches and a large variety of delicious, artisan grilled cheese sandwiches! The best part about Koda’s Grill isn’t the food. Don’t get me wrong. The food is GREAT! The best part about the food truck experience is the increased time I now get to spend with my friends and family. While in the truck, I have had the please of working beside my mom, my aunt, 6 nieces, 2 nephews, and multiple friends. When in the truck there are usually only 2 or 3 of us, total, but my family and friends rotate through the roster, depending upon who wants to work on which weekend.

Koda’s Grill is a busy little truck with a big heart. While building the business I have made it a point to give back to the community. Throughout the summer, we schedule some catered events to raise money for charitable foundations. We also enjoy making free food for people in an effort to make them feel special. Who doesn’t love a food truck showing up on the job-site?!

Overall, we are most proud when we bring joy to those around us. Koda’s Grill is a hard working food truck. We don’t make a million dollars a year, but we make enough to give back to those around us. We are able to give back because we are very careful about how we spend the money we make. We are lucky enough not to have have any debt related to the business. We bought the truck outright for less than $10,000 and have been putting money into the truck as we earn money. We do not have credit cards for the business or any debt associated with the business. Thankfully, Koda’s Grill is a successful food truck. People like our positive energy. We are friendly and honestly, truly, and sincerely happy to be making delicious food for people.

In just a very short time, Koda’s Grill has taught me that no matter what role you play in life, if you continue to work hard and do the best you can, people will be drawn to you. Food trucking is a great way to live life happily, without a ton of stress, spending time with those you love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The town of Freedom, NH is where I call home.

Monday
Breakfast – Eaton Village Store https://www.evs-nh.com/
– Boating & Fishing on Ossipee Lake!

Lunch – on the lake in the boat
Dinner – Yankee Smokehouse & Pizzeria https://yankeesmokehouse.com/

Desert every day! – Bobby Sue’s Homemade Ice Cream, for sure! https://www.bobbysuesnh.com/

Tuesday
Breakfast -Rosie’s, Tamworth, NH https://www.rosiesnh.com/index.html
– Spend the day walking around beautiful Conway & North Conway NH
Be sure to hit Zeb’s General Store! https://www.zebs.com/
– Lunch – Boston’s Best Roast Beef Food Truck- often located in the dunkin donuts parking lot or in the Lowe’s Parking lot. This guy paid over $90,000 for his food trailer. He needs to make a lot of sandwiches, and works all year (even in the cold!) to pay off his truck. He needs more customers!

– Dinner – Muddy Moose Rest. and Pub https://muddymoose.com/

Wednesday
Breakfast – I would make delicious sandwiches for them at home (Koda’s Grill food truck breakfast sandwiches) to eat before we head out on a few short hikes for the day.
– Madison Boulder https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/madison-boulder-natural-area
– Cathedral Ledge https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/cathedral-ledge-state-park
– drive the “Kanc” https://kancamagushighway.com/
lunch – Woodstock Inn and Brewery https://www.woodstockinnbrewery.com/
– return home for a sunset boat ride on Ossipee Lake
Dinner – Dueling Chef’s Smoke-n-Grill (food truck)!!! These are my food truck friends! http://www.duelingchefssmokengrille.com/

Thursday – Visit beautiful Lake Winnipesauke via boat – Launch the boat via Roberts Cover Basin (my great grandfather started this boat basin and it is currently still owned and operated by my family) https://www.robertscovebasin.com/

– lunch – Rubbn Butts BBQ – center harbor (we can dock the boat and walk to the rest.) https://rubbinbuttsbbqnh.com/

Dinner – Alton Village Pizza , my friend Nick works their! https://www.altonvillagepizza.com/best-pizza-and-takeout-menu-in-alton-nh.html

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents! My parents have always encouraged me to do the best I can do at whatever it is I choose to do.

As an athlete, coach, teacher, and school administrator, my mom and dad have consistently been excited for me and supported me with their time, listening ears, and good advise! Even now, as a food truck owner, my parents stop by the truck to visit, help me with idea planning, and even promote my food truck throughout the surrounding communities. I am so lucky to have such an amazing set of unique parents!

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