For Brandi and Brittany Artis, an appearance on a reality TV food competition has made a life-changing impact—even before the episode airs. “It was the most amazing experience of our lives,” says chef Brandi. “To represent the Gateway City is a blessing, and we are so grateful to be here. We are hopeful that the city will be proud of us.”
The couple, who operates 4 Hens Creole Kitchen in the City Foundry STL and Simply Delicious in downtown St. Louis, was one of nine teams competing in The Great Food Truck Race, which starts its 16th season this Sunday, June 18. Eight episodes will air weekly through July 30.
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To celebrate their achievement, the couple is hosting a free watch party this Sunday from 6–8 p.m., with a big screen set up in the open space near 4 Hens Creole Kitchen’s space in the food hall. The show will also air on Food Network, as well as streaming on Discovery+ and MAX.
While the competitors are prohibited from disclosing any outcomes, they were able to share some notes:
The Show’s Format: Hosted by chef Tyler Florence, this season is themed “David vs. Goliath.” Each show pits five industry pros against four up-and-coming rookies (see list of competitors below) to battle for $50,000—the show’s largest grand prize ever. The contest is structured so that teams must demonstrate their cooking expertise, their marketing savvy and selling skills in a race against time. The least successful team, measured by profit, is eliminated every episode, until the winner is crowned in the final episode.
Making the Cut: Classified as beginners, they were required to never have operated or owned a food truck before. After a rigorous months-long selection process, they learned that they made the cut around the holidays, which added joy to the celebrations. With filming starting in January, however, they had to scramble for childcare and are grateful for their families’ support.
Truck Transition: Because a food hall stall’s kitchen is similar in size to a food truck, they hoped the transition would go well. “The tight quarters weren’t an issue,” says Brandi. But the nature of the food truck business—bringing in water and ice, using propane, operating a vehicle, time constraints, and collecting supplies—was a steep learning curve. That’s not to mention the ever-present camera. “There were all these pressures,” says Brandi. “I had to be a good leader, make sound decisions. It was like reopening a restaurant day in and day out.”
A Team Effort: Whereas Brittany says she wouldn’t have felt comfortable in the kitchen before, after a year of hands-on experience at 4 Hens, she was ready to take charge while Brandi stepped out to sell. (Brittany, a physical therapist, left her corporate job for a year to help the culinary operation.) The third team member was Zendrix Berndt-White, their front-of-house person, whom they consider family. “He’s like our little brother,” Brittany says. “He’s our teal-haired mermaid,” Brandi adds. The Food Network describes the team as cooking “from the heart and can’t wait to bring Creole flavors to the West Coast.” They hope their energy, resourcefulness, talents, and camaraderie shine through on TV—and that they can function at a high culinary level.
Heat in the Kitchen: Los Angeles has 4,000 food trucks in a booming business atmosphere, which ramped up anxiety on the high-stakes challenges—particularly finding locations to sell. “The days were long,” says Brandi. “We’d get a 6 a.m. phone call and then, after a long day of filming, after cleaning the truck, maybe get back to the hotel at 10:30 or 11 p.m.” Brandi says the host’s infamous game-changing phone calls would give competitors a new wrinkle in their planned strategies. “His calls were among the most stressful moments,” she says. There were also other sources of stress, such as finding ingredients—whole milk mozzarella cheese, applewood smoked gouda, andouille sausage, and Zatarain’s crawfish, shrimp, and crab boil seasoning—in certain parts of L.A. “Every challenge was a group effort, and we had to put our egos aside,” Brandi says, noting that they were often playful, but heated exchanges could take place at times. “It can get spicy,” she says with a laugh. “It’s the hardest cooking show on television. It kept us on our toes.”
The Menu: The first episode features each team showcasing a dish that defines their business. At the same time, Brandi says, they had to adapt their menu to what could be efficiently produced. Their popular fried green tomatoes were omitted, as was their pecan praline bread pudding. Po’boys, shrimp with smoked gouda grits, and Big Easy fries (layered with mozzarella cheese, Creole cream sauce and choice of protein) were staples, though. They also added items that they may put in rotation here later. “I am not a one-trick pony as a chef,” says Brandi, noting that Simply Delicious has added evening hours, from 5–8 p.m. on Taco Tuesdays, to include her La Chica Bonita Street Eats, named after her pop-up taco stands in restaurants and bars in Chicago. She soon plans to expand those hours from 4–8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
The Host: One of the high points was praise from the celebrity chef host. “Tyler Florence said my shrimp and grits were some of the very best he’s had in his life, and he’s from South Carolina,” Brandi says. She described Florence as personable and helpful and the show’s team as engaging. “They want to help you succeed,” she says.
The Comeptition: Over time, the competitors developed strong relationships. “You get close, like one big family, despite the competition,” Brandi says. “It was a great group of people. We still talk to one another, we have a group chat.” In fact, their competitors from The Block are traveling from Indianapolis to attend the watch party this Sunday. Here’s the full list of competitors:
PRO TEAMS
- Da Bald Guy: Honolulu, Hawaii (James Martin, Missy Rabaino, Ali’i Pukahi)
- Lisa’s Creperie: Atlanta, Georgia (Lisa Thiffault, Ally Marlow, Miranda Moore)
- D’Pura Cepa: Miami, Florida (Jose Carnot, Janshanic Santos, Louis Del Rio Rubio)
- Paisani: Boston, Massachusetts (Ryan Palmer, Matthew Minichiello, Tommy Southwick)
FOOD TRUCK FIRST-TIMERS
- 2 Girls Jamaican Tacos: Brooklyn, New York (Shelly Flash, Bri Labossiere, Elijah McPhie)
- 4 Hens Creole Kitchen: St. Louis (Brandi Artis, Brittany Artis, Zendrix Berndt-White)
- Khana: Detroit, Michigan (Maryam Khan, Al Jane, Jake Nielsen)
- The Block: Indianapolis, Indiana (Terry Anthony, Carl Harris, Crystal Kilgore)
- The Easy Vegan: Denver, Colorado (Taylor Herbert, Alexi Mandolini, Matt Heikkila)
