MILWAUKEE — Andre Richards felt right at home in his brand-new food truck.
The sizzle of sausage and shrimp mixed with the aroma of gumbo and jambalaya are sights and smells he doesn’t take for granted anymore.
Back in February, a driver slammed into his food truck, Gumbo Valley, a business he built from the ground up.
Richards crawled from the wreckage with injuries to his back and neck.
TMJ4 News was on scene that night and shared his story, making it go viral.
Previous Coverage: Food truck owner devastated after driver demolishes his livelihood in crash (tmj4.com)
The community and people around the world showed up for him, donating over $52,000 to his GoFundMe page, all to help get him back on his feet.
Watch: Food truck owner shows off new truck after old one destroyed back in February
“It was just... just mind-blowing. It was mind-blowing, and it just left me speechless to see how many people you know take the time to show that they care,” said Richards.
On Thursday, he served up bowls of gumbo to customers old and new, rejoicing in his return off Capitol Drive.
“I’m glad he’s back,” said CoCo, a customer. “I missed him. I know I ain’t the only one who missed him.”
She told TMJ4 News she had never tried gumbo until visiting Richards's food truck. Now, she’s a returning customer and has praised Richards for his genuine attitude and passion for serving.
For a little over a week, Richards has been getting back into the swing of things.
“I’m just trying to give it a good start, a good look, a good feel, everything, and especially great taste,” said Richards.
His new truck includes LED light boards on top, a new wrap around the truck, stainless steel equipment, a more powerful generator, and much more.
It’s equipment he was able to secure thanks to an outpouring of support and funds from the community.
Previous Coverage: Local business donates food, mobile roaster to food truck owner after crash (tmj4.com)
Previous Coverage: Milwaukee food truck owner stunned by GoFundMe campaign (tmj4.com)
In addition to building back his business, Richards was also going through physical therapy for three months due to his injuries from the crash.
He credits his determination to get back inside the truck that got him to open the doors once again.
“I just want to move forward and build myself up with the courage that I need to progress and be able to display what I talk about and be able to deliver that same great taste,” said Richards.
His journey is far from over, with big goals in sight.
“I guess the ultimate goal would be that sit-down family-style restaurant to bring the families back together to the table as we once used to do,” said Richards.
But for now, he’s focused on serving up bites for all who stop by.
Richards is normally parked off of the intersection at N. Richards St. and Capitol Dr. in Milwaukee.
Next month, he’ll start doing more events and moving the truck around to different locations.
See a full menu and learn more here: Gumbo Valley - Gumbo, Seafood Gumbo, Cajun Gumbo
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