Immigrant success: Fork in Nigeria chef rises beyond one Detroit food truck

Fork in Nigeria selections in Detroit and Columbus. (Photo: Facebook/Dana Franklin)

Just a year after rolling out his first food truck, a 41-year-old Nigerian immigrant has expanded to a three-vehicle fleet and a new branch in Columbus.

Prej Iroegbu of Oak Park, the chef-owner of Fork in Nigeria, promotes his venture online as "The Most Popular African Food Truck In The USA!" (Hey, prove him wrong.)

Chef-owner Prej Igoegbu: "Eat real food, taste the vegan difference." (Photos: Facebook)

Since launching last May with a daily presence from noon to 9 p.m. at Livernois and Cambridge, near West Seven Mile Road in Detroit, the entrepreneur has added an east side truck that parks off Eight Mile at Gratiot and regularly visits the new Fiat Chrysler assembly plant in Detroit by invitation. The three-vehicle fleet (photo below) includes a van for event or workplace catering.

Delivery in Northwest Detroit is available via through Grubhub, Uber Eatrs and DoorDash.

Iroegbu visited the Ann Arbor Farmers Market for four hours last month and then parked at a wine garden on Packard Street in that city for another four hours.

The Ohio college town addition

This fourth truck last week began serving at Crossroads Commerce Center in Columbus' industrial zone as a franchise born three months ago. It's owned by Bartholomew Shepkong, an entrepreneur who also sells African-stytle fashions and jewelry. "We uniquely blend Africa's influence on the globe and global influence on Africa," says his seven-year-old company, G & T Brand.

In Metro Detroit and Columbus, the menu features Nigerian staples such as jollof rice, suya steak, goat shank, oxtail, yam, plaintain, cassava, fufu (pounded yam ball) puff puff (fried sweet dough balls) and moi moi (steamed, spiced ground beans). "Eat real food, taste the vegan difference," Iroegbu posts a few days ago.

For his next act, the African chef also plans a "family-style restaurant opening later this year" on Woodward Avenue in Midtown, Eater Detroit editor Monica L. Williams reports. No address is given yet.

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