Sweet Spot serving up delicious delights

It’s hard for anyone to miss it.

Bold and colourful – that’s the food truck which bears the label “Mich and Cato’s Sweet Spot,” at the busy intersection of Bay Street and South River Road, just across the street from the Penny Bank.

Their fast food menu is simple, comprising shark, fish or chicken, served with bakes or fries.

Both the truck, and the fish and fries so wowed the public that ‘Mich and Cato’s’ took the top spot as ‘Best Food Truck’ while their fish and chips was also voted number one in the Best of SVG 2017 Awards.

Operating a food truck was never in the picture, explained Dale Cato, who owns the enterprise with his wife, Michelle.

“I came home and found I couldn’t get a job and that is when I realized that ‘hey, you need to try something else’, so I went and I bought the food truck,” explained Dale Cato, who spent two years in Canada undertaking studies in Internet security and administration.

Even after purchasing the food truck, Cato did not intend to offer fast foods, but his grilled food with salads did not get the nod of consumers, so after one or two weeks, he installed two fryers, changed the menu, and five years later, business continues to grow.

Receiving the award “was really a surprise, I can’t thank people enough for what they have done” said Cato, who rolls up his sleeves daily serving customers right alongside his staff. Ten persons are full time employees, while another eight are hired for one or two days to clean the chicken.

As a practical man of affairs, Cato believes you must like what you do and give it your best shot.

“At the end of the day it’s about the money, yes, but if you’re going to be really thinking about the money over what you like, it’s not going to work for you, because eventually, the money is not going to be returning the way it is supposed to, because you don’t like what you’re doing; so you have to like what you do.”

Interestingly, persons are now requesting salads, and Cato is figuring out how that can be accommodated.

“The truck is hot and the salads have to be kept cool,” he mused. One possibility is to keep salads next door at another building where he operates another business from which persons can order “real, cooked food” daily – including soups and boileen.

Book it, salads would soon be on the menu.

Mich and Cato’s Sweet Spot is open Mondays through Fridays, from around 9 in the morning to between 6 and 6.30 in the evening.

The lunch crowd can begin to arrive from as early as just after 11 a.m. and at its peak can be four deep.

While their fish and chips was voted as best in the awards, Omari Sampson says the demand is greatest for shark and bakes.

If the shark is sold out, then fish is next in demand, with chicken next in line, explained Sampson, who handles the shark. Their garlic and onion dressing also seems to be a favourite with patrons.

Sampson and his colleagues find pleasure serving the range of customers who keep them in business, and are keen to maintain the quality of service that could see a repeat win in 2018.

“We will like it to happen again for everyone,” he says.