Meet Megan May Walhood and Jeremy Brandon Ikaika Daniels, the owners of Viking Soul Food in Portland, Oregon. Since 2010 the two have been operating out of their trusty airstream and continue to thrive.
Get to know more about Megan, Jeremy, and Viking Soul Food in this week’s Business Spotlight Q&A.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Why is it important to you and your business that people #SpendLikeItMatters?
Choosing to spend our money at diverse local small businesses isn’t just about virtue signaling. It supports the businesses that are more likely to pay a living wage and treat their employees better, which increases the livability of the city as a whole. Such businesses are themselves more likely to be supporting other small businesses with the products they use, which in turn helps local businesses thrive instead of being stomped on and pushed out by larger chains and corporations.
What’s your favorite part about the community your business is in & why?
We love the inclusivity of the community where our food cart is located. Our clientele make it clear that they share our values around quality over quantity, paying our staff a living wage, and making everyone feel welcome, especially BIPOC and LGBTQA+ folks.
What’s something your customers may not know about you or your business?
Some customers might now know that Viking Soul Food was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive Ins & Dives in 2020. He loved our food and ate every bite!
As a business owner, what’s the strangest or craziest idea you’ve ever tried?
Our entire concept is strange and out of the box. As far as we know, we are the only street food vendor in the country (or world?) that has a menu based around Norwegian potato lefse and uses so many different things to put inside lefse. Calling the business “viking soul food” was a little crazy as well, but after 12 years it seems to have stuck!