Today we’d like to introduce you to William Woodland.
Hi William, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been in the industry since 16 working part-time at Conan’s, then getting into the burger and downtown tex/mex scene. I eventually crept up through the back door at some of the best kitchens around town including Vespaio, Imperia, and Parkside for jobs. You really learn to respect for the ingredients you use; all meat and vegetables come from another lifes’ energy and should be worshiped.
I wanted to build my own business for years and one day just decided to start doing it. My buddy’s brother sold me a half-size metal framed utility trailed partially bent that had no title, not even a VIN, no wheels, no flooring. It took my nine months to get a VIN approved, title/registration plus fix frame, floor and wheels.
The next three years I spent doing every job you can think of. I started framing houses which is where I learned what I needed to start this. Random flooring jobs, neighbor’s vehicles, graphic design for friends. I did one restaurant demolition job in where I really got lucky: Worked for a Hood vent entire breaker box. The siding on the trailer is from a fencing job someone was throwing away. My exhaust fan is from a school up north and my 40-gallon main braising table is from a school in San Antonio. The other really unique cooking feature in my trailer is my Double 100k BTU Wok station, which came from a Chinese restaurant that was going out of business. I gained so much knowledge in carpentry, electricity, and so much more while building my dream kitchen.
Definitely the longest project I’ve ever completed and I rebuilt an engine at 15 with only a Chiltons manual (no youtube hahhaha). I’m exceptionally proud of my trailer and the uniqueness of it. I wanted to keep my menu as South Austin as I could. I decided to braise one of my favorite Game Meats, Venison and finally got a spot at the coolest Honky Tonk bar in South Austin Sagebrush. Have been building a reputation for sure and slowly putting my profits into banners, table ads and open signs for the outside. I’m so thankful for all the great responses and extraordinary tips the regulars have blessed me with. All of it is going back into it at the moment, trying to get my name out there and gathering pans/utensils as business increases.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been quite the struggle, bending metal isn’t the easiest thing to. Running my electricity and plumbing was a whole ‘nother story. After being denied the permit the first time for my water tanks not being big enough, I had to add a 2nd tank and plumb them together. Almost everything on this trailer got done once and a I realized there was a better way I could have done it and probably redid it and broke it, then redid it a 3rd time. The design was always changing. Even after opening, I got bamboozled with the QR code generator, not knowing there was a middle man URL redirection involved. Once I had it running, My square system was set to the wrong time zone which for some Bug at the time, could not be updated. No one was ordering anything when it was showing a NY time zone hahaha. Then once I had the time zone changed, the 50 max scan limit was already reached so I was forced to pay for the qr service since I had already put the money into prints for my trailer at every table.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I Serve Braised Game Meat, Fresh and Fire Roasted Seasonal Cuisine
What were you like growing up?
Math Nerd, Computer Geek, Loved Music, Gardening, and Cooking.
Contact Info:
- Website: bornandbraisedatx.com
- Instagram: bornandbraisedatx
