Allen County
Founder Profile
Rolando
Perez
Business
Rolando Perez: Hoosier Box
Founded
2018
Grant Date
February 2021
Idea
Custom-built roaster boxes used to provide catering services to small venues, individuals, and fundraising events in the local community.
Evolving with Market Through Custom Roaster Boxes, Spice Blends, and Locations
It all started with a college graduation cookout. Rolando Perez wanted to cook a pig to celebrate but needed a way to do it. So he built his own roaster box. The pig was delicious, people loved his food, and the rest is history.
Actually, the history is pretty interesting, and honestly delicious. While Rolando intended to specialize in the roaster boxes, he kept getting rave reviews about his food. He began catering in 2018 and developed a signature spice rub now used in 90% of his dishes. In November of 2020, Rolando and business partner Amanda Jackson opened the Artisan Kitchen inside Ambrosia Orchard in Hoagland, Indiana.
Since beginning, Rolando has spent nearly every weekend perfecting the engineering of the Hoosier Box. The unique, customizable roasters derive from an eastern traditional method of cooking that roasts food inside a box with fire on top. In addition, Rolando spends time experimenting with different types of foods and seasonings in order to provide customers with the most elevated tastes and textures.
As their offerings grow, so do their dreams.
In the near term, Rolando and Amanda plan to use their $500 grant to buy kitchen equipment and paid advertising to expand their marketing reach. They also hope to purchase a catering trailer soon in order to grow their customer base, sales, and team.
In the long run, Rolando dreams about franchising—but not in the normal “brick and mortar” sense. His vision includes rebuilding shipping containers into customizable and moveable locations that can more easily evolve with the market.
