Jakob Norris built Wicked Tasty from a single food truck into a multi-divisional hospitality company -- food truck, corporate café, full-service catering, a licensed bar program called Wicked Thirsty, and a seasonal mountain kitchen at Dartmouth Skiway. He did it in four years. And he did it with almost ten years clean and sober. This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on Beyond the Plate. Jakob opens up about losing his dad at 12, how kitchens became his anchor, what it felt like the day he chose recovery, and why second chances are at the core of everything he builds. In this episode: • How a real estate agent with a truck and a dream launched Wicked Tasty • What "New England Classics with a twist" actually means -- and the food behind it • The Dartmouth Skiway partnership and what it takes to run food and beverage on a mountain • Building Northman F&B Co. as a parent company -- and what comes next • Why Jakob hires the way he does, and the 19-year-old who became his full operations manager • The NHLRA Roaming Kitchen of the Year nomination -- and the moment with Dante from Dead Proof Pizza FIND WICKED TASTY & NORTHMAN F&B CO. Wicked Tasty Food Truck -- wickedtastytrucks.com Northman F&B Co. -- northmanhospitality.com Follow on Facebook: WickedTastyTruck for their weekly schedule Instagram: @wickedtastytruck If this conversation hit you -- subscribe to Beyond the Plate on YouTube, follow us on Instagram and Facebook @beyondtheplatenh, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. New episodes drop every Tuesday at 7am. 🔔 -- This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner. 4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner -- ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24 Timestamps: • 0:00 -- Intro • 0:18 -- Carol's food truck visit -- the fluffernutter story • 1:21 -- What is Northman Food and Beverage Co.? • 2:34 -- Growing up in Plymouth, MA and Salem, NH • 3:10 -- Clam digging with dad, foraging, and the kitchen that raised him • 4:25 -- Losing his dad at 12 and how food became the anchor • 5:05 -- First kitchen job at Murphy's Tap Room, Manchester • 6:15 -- How Wicked Tasty started -- a real estate agent with a truck • 7:03 -- "Just something in me told me to say yes" • 8:36 -- Carol weave-in: 39 years, 4 locations, what consistency really means • 9:14 -- "New England Classics with a twist" -- the Wicked Tasty philosophy • 10:09 -- The Dartmouth Skiway partnership -- how it came together • 13:26 -- The NHLRA Roaming Kitchen of the Year nomination • 14:35 -- "Real recognize real" -- the Dante moment 😄 • 15:12 -- What "Northman" really means • 16:04 -- Choosing recovery -- almost 10 years clean and sober • 16:15 -- "Everybody's worth something" -- second chances philosophy • 17:14 -- Carol's halfway house story at the Red Arrow • 20:08 -- "I knew that if I didn't, I was going to die" • 20:59 -- Sponsorship: Red Arrow Diner • 21:06 -- Building a team that grows -- transparency, patience, investing in people • 23:38 -- The 19-year-old who became full operations manager • 24:31 -- Walking up to the truck -- what to expect • 25:18 -- The menu: 603 Burger, spicy chicken, short rib poutine, specialty grilled cheeses • 29:15 -- The deep-fried fluffernutter -- how it's made • 29:54 -- What success looks like for Northman F&B • 31:36 -- The stabilization phase -- building slow and smart • 31:40 -- Why New Hampshire • 32:41 -- Wicked Thirsty -- the bar company with a caterer's liquor license • 34:01 -- Running multiple concepts -- staffing, strategy, and the on-call team • 36:03 -- How the commissary kitchen happened • 37:30 -- The ice machine moment 😄 • 38:00 -- What keeps him going when it's hard • 39:26 -- "If you don't quit, that's how things change" • 40:27 -- The Passport Giveaway -- Black Friday prizes • 41:14 -- Lightning Round • 43:38 -- You're at the Red Arrow -- what are you ordering? 😄 • 43:46 -- Closing question -- what are you most proud of? • 44:22 -- Outro -- go find Wicked Tasty and Northman F&B
