After serving eight years in the U.S. Army, Hamilton began as a line cook at a hotel and worked his way up the ranks, eventually becoming a chef.
By 2020, Hamilton was still not ready to launch a restaurant because of the costs, so he opted for the next best thing—a food truck, he said. There was just one obstacle: He launched Sauce Time on March 18, 2020, after the pandemic hit.
“In some ways, it was a blessing in disguise [business wise],” Hamilton said. “Anytime that you have a startup completely from scratch and nobody knows who you are, it is difficult to get your name out and [get] people to know who you are.”
When the pandemic first began sweeping the country, restaurants were forced to close. Hamilton’s Sauce Time, however, did not need to worry about a physical location; he could take the food to the people.
But as the year progressed, it was still hard for Hamilton to gauge how successful Sauce Time could be. Then 2021 rolled around, and he saw an increase in interest, and 2022 has gotten off to a better start, he said.
Sauce Time, named for the sauces it offers, serves grilled food, such as sandwiches, hot dogs, melts and chicken wings.
The Sauce Time food truck has no home base. Hamilton first launched in the city of Pearland, but he has branched out since then with operation permits in Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties and League City, he said.
Each week, Hamilton’s food truck moves around the southeast Houston region from Pearland and Alvin to Pasadena and Baytown as well as Webster and League City. Sauce Time’s website has a calendar of where the truck will be located.
“We are happy to be a part of our communities, and we want to continue relationships with the community,” Hamilton said.
The biggest lesson Hamilton has learned throughout the two years running the business is time management, he said. Not only can the peak hours be chaotic when orders begin piling up, he said, but he also needs to be savvy on planning ahead to shop for his ingredients.
Hamilton still has a brick-and-mortar location as a future goal. But he also hopes to launch a cooking school where he can teach a younger generation, he said.
Teaching, however, is not the only thing that brings Hamilton joy. One thing he prides himself on is making sure everyone he interacts with through his restaurant feels a level of quality service and a valued connection, he said.
“What really makes me happy is when I see the smiles on people’s faces and they say, ‘That was some good food,’” Hamilton said.
