NORFOLK, Va. — Maricen Price, Dave DeValda, and Chef Wimbo are the owners of Cups Up, a food truck that’s new to Hampton Roads.
They told 13News Now the truck started over drinks, “We did a toast, and we all put our cups up, and we were like cups up cheers,” Wimbo, the head chef, says that’s when everything clicked.
Cups Up takes gourmet food, items like roasted lamb, lobster tail, brisket, truffle fries, macaroni and cheese, and puts it into a cup. “It’s easier than a tray, you can eat and walk around, perfect for festivals,” Wimbo said.
The owners explained that these cups are like having a “cup of love” or a “cup of heaven” in the palm of your hand. They’re proud of their work and are honored to serve the 757. Wimbo said, “If you got love in the mix of it and you got a community that supports you and is behind you, you know, the road is endless.”
Price sat beside Wimbo during their interview, and was nothing but appreciative, saying that everyone always feels “happy” when they're around him, and that’s what’s important. For Wimbo, what’s important is the people. When asked what his favorite part of Cups Up was, he answered, “Every bite means something to me, and by people actually getting that experience, and feeling that love within that food that we produce - hands down [the best part].”
For Chef Wimbo, this isn’t his first time serving. “I did 20 years in the Navy, 20 plus years, I retired as a chief petty officer,” he said. He went on to say that he missed it, and “once a chief, always a chief.” Service still runs in his veins as a veteran. He currently volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club, teaching kids how to cook. “I love giving back and letting them see that, like hey, I did it, I’m making it, I’m surviving,” he pounded his chest with pride.
That same pride keeps cups running over not only in the people he encounters but in the cups at Cups Up.
To find out where you can visit Cups Up next, you can follow their Instagram or Facebook at @cupsupva.
Author's Note: The video below is on file from Sept. 10, 2021.