Damon Stevens stressed the importance of getting out of one’s comfort zone as he raised his daughter, Azurá, in North Carolina. Not only did Damon apply this lesson as a basketball coach for the various AAU teams which Azurá played for, he encouraged an open-minded approach to life when he spent time with his daughter in the kitchen.
“Azurá always used to try different things I’d cook for her,” Damon said. “She’s a foodie type. You know, she’ll go to Japan and China, eating squid, sharks, eels and stuff like that, she’ll send pictures. I was like ‘Wow you ate that stuff?’ She was like, ‘Yes dad, I tried it.’”
While this unique bond between father and daughter was already strong, their shared love and excitement towards food took to new levels early last year.
“We were throwing around ideas about little restaurants and stuff like that,” Damon said. “I always think about crawling before running. So I said, ‘Let’s go into this food truck thing first.’ Food trucks have a low overhead, so we could start that up and see how that goes.”
Cooking and preparing the food was one consideration, but determining the types of dishes the duo wanted to sell require separated brainstorming sessions. Damon said they knew barbecue and hamburgers would be an easy sell to customers, but like he had raised his daughter to be, they didn’t want to play it safe.
“I’m the type of chef that likes to step outside the box and do something different,” he said.
So, the two agreed on fish and grits, a cuisine they could focus on making their niche in the Raleigh-Durham food truck business. Once the menu was decided, it was time to name their soon-to-be operation.
Not surprisingly, Damon turned to his family’s other passion: basketball.
The food truck’s name – Same O Dame O’s Shrimp, Fish and Grits – harkens back decades to Damon’s high school basketball days. After missing a layup during one practice, Damon’s former friend and teammate “Pops” called him “Same O Dame O.” While the nickname made his teammates laugh for just a couple of minutes, it ultimately stuck and even was implemented as part of Damon’s business mindset.
“We use it as a motto,” Damon said. “Be consistent in whatever you do.”
Supported by a solid business philosophy and surrounded by a motivated team, the Stevens family outfitted a trailer, created an appealing menu and opened for business on June 20, 2020.
For more than a year, this food truck has traveled across the Raleigh-Durham area, serving up Sizzling Salmon Cakes, Creamy Sharp Cheddar Grits and the business’s most popular item, Same O’s Famous Shrimp.
While Azurá balances the professional and personal regime that accompanies all WNBA players, she continues to serve a steady role in the operation. Despite being 800 miles away for months at a time, she helps make business decisions, menu changes and expanding their food truck’s social media presence.
Azurá said she has also found similarities between her duties as an entrepreneur and a professional athlete.
“I think of the days when we’re out serving the food and how these are kind of like a game day,” she said. “You still have to prepare and get ready, but there is a lot of stuff you have to take on the fly and figure out.”
Community service is equally important to Same O Dame O’s. The Stevens take pride in having collaborated with local organizations in North Carolina to provide jobs to individuals that are experiencing homelessness. And after overcoming many of the challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, the family continues to brainstorm how they can grow the business. Some ideas that have been passed around include bottling and selling Same O Dame O’s popular sauces in stores as well as driving the food truck outside of North Carolina.
Azurá hopes that in the near future, Chicago Sky fans will be able to try out her family’s recipes.
“I definitely want to get the truck up here for games at some time. I’m gonna make that a goal of mine,” Azurá said. “Everyone here will all be able to try it, which will make it even more special.”