Trueman McGee
Owner
Funky Fresh Spring Rolls
Milwaukee
Employees: 12
When Trueman McGee decided to take his first steps into the food industry with the goal of helping others lead healthier lives, he did not expect to one day operate a restaurant with two locations, 12 employees and a large following.
McGee owns Funky Fresh Spring Rolls, a fast-casual restaurant and caterer that specializes in gourmet grilled spring rolls made with fresh, nutritious ingredients in combos such as buffalo chicken and kale, and sweet potato and black bean.
The concept, which first launched in 2015, is currently one of almost 30 black-owned small businesses located at Sherman Phoenix, an entrepreneurial hub that opened late last year in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood.
Earlier in 2018, Funky Fresh opened a counter service space at The Avenue, the former Shops at Grand Avenue in downtown Milwaukee that’s currently undergoing an extensive renovation project. That Funky Fresh location is slated to reopen as a tenant of the new 3rd Street Market Hall when the project is complete.
Before establishing a retail presence, Funky Fresh operated as a food stand at area farmers markets and events, selling an average of 1,000 spring rolls per week, McGee said. Now, the business serves up about 2,500 spring rolls per week.
“When I was first starting my journey, my gut instinct told me that the food would be the big ticket, or what I would do that I’d be great at, and I just followed that instinct and I just knew deep down that if I just listened to my gut and trusted myself, that something major would happen,” McGee said.
