VB Navy veteran on mission to make good food more accessible across 757 one cup at a time

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A Virginia Beach Navy veteran is on a mission to make good food more accessible to everyone across Hampton Roads, and he’s doing it one cup of food at a time.

When Shawn Wimberly retired from the Navy, he knew he wanted to continue giving back to the community.

He decided to put his chef hat on and use his long-time love for cooking to do just that.

“After I retired from the military, culinary has been my passion. Definitely wanting to influence great cuisine and food to the people in the 757,” he said.

He and his team came together and came up with the idea for a food trailer called Cups Up.

It’s a unique spin on serving food, with the idea of making it easier to enjoy while out and about.

“And it’s definitely a lot more convenient to have it in a cup versus walking around with a tray and pushing a stroller,” he said.

The trailer serves dishes like turkey legs, bang bang shrimp, lamb chops and a whole lot more. It’s all with the idea of making good food more accessible and easy to eat to everyone in Hampton Roads.

“People from Newport News or across the peninsula is not going to travel an hour and a half in most cases,” he said. “So, what we decided to do was to reach that market, that demographic and bring this to them.”

Opening a business during a pandemic is a challenge in itself, a challenge that motivated them to serve food in the most mobile way possible.

“We’re in a pandemic right now. Financials isn’t the best for everyone. Traveling isn’t the best for everyone,” he said. “How we come together as a team, we wanted to bring that to the individuals that couldn’t come out there.”

It’s been two months since they’ve opened and they have a number of events they’ll be at. Chef Wimbo says it’s not about the money, it’s about serving as many people as they can

“Being in a vet, to not only give for my country, but I can give for my community too,” he said.

Follow them on their Facebook or Instagram page to find out where they’ll be traveling to across Hampton Roads.