By Kharisma McIlwaine
In August 2019, Justin Coleman and Kelvin Alexander set out on a journey that would become Bake’n Bacon. What began as an idea has now transformed into a curated brand and a food empire. After overcoming the early hurdles of business ownership and a global pandemic, the dynamic duo thrives with three food trucks and a brick-and-mortar business.
Coleman and Alexander sat down with the SUN to share their story of perseverance, success, and what’s on the horizon for Bake’n Bacon.
Sometimes, tragedy propels us into our purpose. Coleman and Alexander met while working at what they both referred to as a “hellish place.” After determining they needed to get out, they remained aligned. Years later, when Coleman lost his younger brother, he was visited in a dream and given the idea for the business.
Hang’N Bacon sharable.
Photo: Bake’n Bacon
“My younger brother passed away in 2016 and that kind of sparked the whole idea for Bake’n Bacon,” Coleman said. “Initially, I wanted to do a healthy food truck, and after he passed, I was trying to figure out how to honor him. So in a dream, he literally gave me the idea for Bake’n Bacon. I remember being in the dream. I remember I could smell bacon. It was almost like he was leaving me breadcrumbs to him. When I finally saw him, there was a food truck. I couldn’t really see what the food truck looked like. I just knew it was really bright on the inside and the outside was really dark. I said, ‘Derrick, come back with me — I thought that you passed away.’ We were arguing like we always do, and he said, ‘I’m staying here, but this was your idea.’ When I woke up, I wrote “bacon, bacon, bacon” down. Only one good “bacon” made it to the paper I had on my nightstand… the rest was scribble. I called my sister the next day and told her about the dream. I was trying to figure out a way to make that dream make sense.”
Coleman and Alexander continued working towards turning that dream into a reality. That dream would eventually become Bake’n Bacon, the food truck.
“We googled how to start a food truck, but there’s not much information or very many resources, to be honest,” Coleman said. “I’d like to say my spirituality is my GPS, so I kind of just went with what I felt spiritually I was led to do at those times. We just figured it out. Each county is different. Each state is different, and we’re in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and we’ve been in Delaware. Each state has its own rules and regulations, and each county has its own rules and regulations.”
Baked Mac&Cheese, that can be paired with different toppings.
Photo: Bake’n Bacon
“We learned after the first one,” Alexander said. “It’s kind of like when you have your first child, and from there you learn how to be a parent. The same thing with the food trucks. We got number two and number three. Those were a breeze, but that first one — we had to get over those hurdles and bumps in order to be able to truly maneuver. The one good resource we had was Justin’s friend from high school. She has a truck of her own. She and her partner were able to give us a lot of information and insight on how to navigate through festivals, the county, and how to operate the truck.”
The success of the food truck led Coleman and Alexander to return to their original vision of being restaurant owners.
“Interestingly enough, the brick-and-mortar was always the goal,” Alexander said. “It’s just that the food truck was the steppingstone to get to that. It was a smart move, too, because you didn’t have that major overhead from the beginning. Justin and I don’t come from money, so we had to work to get to this point. We were able to build our business and success off of the food trucks and were able to reinvest in ourselves from the profit and success from the trucks to get ourselves to this point.”
“We invested back into the business every single time,” Alexander said. “We had the first food truck. When we had enough money, we bought the second food truck. Then, we were going to buy a third food truck, but instead, we used that down payment to buy the building. We were very adamant and intentional with buying this building, not just renting. We wanted to make sure that we were examples to people that look like us that we can do it. I always tell people, ‘There are a million “no’s” out there, you just have to really search for that one “yes”.’ I’m really big on projections — blocking them and not letting someone else’s fears manifest within my life and my journey. It’s about being in tune with yourself. The more in tune with yourself you are, the more you can tap into what our journey on this earth for the short time that we’re here is supposed to be.”
Coleman and Alexander are not only restaurateurs but the chefs and masterminds behind Bake’n Bacon’s menu.
Beautiful bar experience, great bartenders, great food.
Photo: Bake’n Bacon
“I started off with things that I know that I’m really good at — like, my buffalo chicken dip is amazing, and my mac and cheese is a combination of my grandma’s recipe, my aunt’s, and my own. Over the years, I perfected it, and now I feel like it’s better than both of theirs. They actually say that too, which is an honor,” Coleman said with a laugh. “The first draft of the menu. I said let’s do grilled cheese and bacon and add different things to it. We had a tasting and invited family and friends and everything was a hit to them. Our food truck was a one-stop shop for savory and sweet with our sandwiches and dessert. We wanted the restaurant to be an extension of that. Then the menu started to expand.”
Now in their 10th month of business, their menu has expanded to include weekend brunch. With over 1,000 reviews and a 4.9 rating, their brunch menu is quickly becoming one of the most popular in the city. Their daily menu, bar menu (which also includes craft mocktails for guests who want non-alcohol options), and brunch menus offer a little something for everyone — nondrinkers, bacon lovers, and nonmeat eaters alike.
“Since the beginning, we’ve offered other items that weren’t pork,” Alexander said. “We have grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken bites, chicken wings with Asian sauce, and smoked brisket sandwiches. Here in the restaurant, we have pescatarian options. We have salmon, shrimp and grits. We have salmon entrees and a hot honey salmon sandwich with fries. We also offer vegan options. We do our vegan meatballs and our nott’a wings which are soy-based protein wings. We have a plethora of options that are available for people who don’t eat pork. We wanted to make sure that anyone coming in, could come in with their entire family or crew.”
Bake’n Bacon continues to expand. They are just a week away from the grand opening of the second floor, dubbed Level Two, and a third-floor space they are transforming into a lounge.
“The food trucks were already an elevated experience compared to most food trucks, aesthetically speaking, and the vibe of it,” Coleman said. “I wanted the restaurant to be a step above the food truck, and then the second-floor space to be a step above here. So, you constantly get the evolution of the brand, us as individuals all together in one brand. Then we have a third-floor space that’s going to be called the Executive Lounge. That’s going to be a high-end bourbon, tequila bar that seats 12 people.”
While expanding their business to include a 2nd and 3rd floor, Coleman was also selected to be featured on “Guy’s Grocery Games” on Food Network.
“I had a good time on the show. Guy was amazing to work with — super down-to-earth and so humble,” he said. “They call him the kitchen angel, because he literally walks through with each chef and will give you pointers without spoiling it or cheating.”
Overall, Bake’n Bacon aims to be a welcoming environment that offers all who step foot through the doors an incredible human and culinary experience.
“I believe that every human wants to feel seen and heard,” Coleman said. “I feel like when you’re able to have that, it sets the precedence for the experience. You come in, you’re seen, you’re greeted well. People pay attention to detail of what you’re looking for, they’re paying attention to key words and then you feel heard. That sets the standard for our food and service.”
“We want you to have a knockout experience,” Alexander added. “You can choose to go anywhere in the city, anywhere in the state, but you take the opportunity and time to come here. We want to ensure you’re greeted and properly thanked and express our gratitude for coming to spend your time and hard-earned money with us. We want to make sure everyone has that wow experience when they come through.”
Bake’n Bacon is located at 1148 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147. Bake’n Bacon is open Wednesday and Thursday 5-9 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 4-9 p.m. with brunch available on Saturdays and Sundays 9am-2pm. Bake’n Bacon’s food trucks are available for private hires and events. To find out more, email @bakenbacon.com. To keep up with all things Bake’n Bacon, visit their website at: www.bakenbacon.com and follow them on IG @baken_bacon, @baken_baconfoodtrucks and TikTok @bake_n_bacon.
Leave a Comment