The text is a conversation between a vendor named Leroy Maurice Robinson Jr., also known as Mo, and a customer. Mo has been selling food in Harlem for 32 years. He started with drinks and hot dogs, and later expanded to burgers. He owns the barbershop next to his food cart due to the shared space.
Mo emphasizes that he is not just selling food, but providing a service to the community. His prices are low so that everyone, especially young black kids, can afford his food. He also mentions that he owns a barbershop, which he uses to store food for his cart.
Mo talks about his life in Harlem, mentioning that he was born in Brooklyn and served in the Navy for eight years. He moved to Harlem after his service and started selling food there. He mentions his four children who have all graduated from college, and he credits his food business for helping pay for their education.
Mo describes his daily routine, starting his day early and preparing for the day. He arrives at his stand at 9:00 and starts selling at 10:00. He sells a large number of burgers, hotdogs, and sausages every day. He also makes sure to have fun with his customers, joking and making them smile.
He talks about the challenges he faced when the city changed its system for permits and licenses. However, he managed to overcome these challenges and continue his business. He mentions that he is appreciated by the community and feels he is an asset to it.
1. The speaker, Leroy Maurice Robinson Jr., is a New York City mobile food vendor known as Mo's Burgers.
2. He operates his business in Harlem, specifically at 153 Lenox Avenue, also known as Malcolm X Boulevard.
3. He has been running Mo's hot dogs and drinks for 32 years.
4. His menu includes small cheeseburgers, large cheeseburgers, hot sausages, fruit punch, and lemonade.
5. He is famous for his hamburgers, especially his small cheeseburgers that cost $2 each.
6. He owns a barbershop in the same location as his food cart, which he uses to help the food cart due to the freezers he has in the back.
7. He bought the barbershop about four years ago.
8. He believes he is an asset to the community.
9. He raises his family in Harlem and has four children who have all graduated from college.
10. The burgers he sells helped pay for their college education.
11. He was born in Brooklyn and spent eight years in the Navy, working on propulsion equipment.
12. After his service, he always stayed in Harlem because as a veteran, he gets to get the license free of charge.
13. He leaves his house around 6:15 to 6:30 and gets to Harlem at 9:00, starting to sell at 10:00.
14. He ensures he has enough food for the day, including at least 300 burgers, 100 hot dogs, and 75 sausages daily.
15. He interacts with his customers, joking with them and making their day.
16. He values the feedback from his regular customers, who tell him whether he's doing good or bad.
17. He admits to occasional struggles, such as missing his grandmother's funeral because he was unable to travel to South Carolina.
18. He emphasizes that he has rules for his business, which are not just for one person but for all. This mindset likely comes from his military days.
19. He enjoys his work and would not know what to do if he didn't have it.