From the Tallahassee Democrat
Justo Cruz’s love for macaroni and cheese is turning him into a Tallahassee legend.
In just a few years, he has parlayed his ability to cook up a distinct version of the comfort food in an old delivery truck he dubbed the “Mac Shack” and grown a thriving business.
That includes multiple trucks around town, its first brick-and-mortar presence at the Happy Motoring! lounge on South Adams Street, and a restaurant on the campus of his alma mater, Florida State University.
While Cruz grew his business, becoming a familiar site at Florida A&M and FSU football games, word of his versatility at concocting numerous cheese bases blended with herbs, meats and macaroni extended his reputation beyond Tallahassee.
On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, named the Tally Mac Shack as the U.S. Senate Small Business of the Week.
“In 2017, Justo Cruz decided to pursue his entrepreneurial dream … Justo has grown his business year over year … and today, Tally Mac Shack has nearly 30 employees,” said Rubio, in a video statement he tweeted.
“Congratulations to the entire team at Tally Mac Shack. I look forward to seeing your continued success and engagement with the Tallahassee community,” said Rubio, who chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
The Senate award is the latest in a string of honors the three-year old enterprise has won. Tally Mac Shack has been named Tallahassee’s best food truck five times.
It has also been recognized for partnering with the Down Syndrome Association of Florida, the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Cancer Center and the Kearney Center for the homeless.
Writer James Call can be contacted at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on Twitter @CallTallahassee.