Her Husband Stunned Her by Filing For Divorce, She Did Something Amazing.

 After 20 years of marriage, at the age of 43, Yvonne Anderson-Thomas found herself in free fall: Her husband filed for divorce and she hadn't completed her nursing degree. To make ends meet, she started selling baked goods at food festivals near her in Boise, Idaho, drawing on her experience running a bakery. However, at the festivals, she realized customers would pass her by, with vague promises of saving room for dessert.

"I realized, shoot, the savory food people were making all the money!" she says. So Yvonne decided to sell smoked turkey legs, an old family favorite. After seeing her initial success, a generous friend loaned her several thousand dollars to buy a truck. Soon enough, Brown Shuga was up and running, and Yvonne was working three events in a day with the help of her son Daniel, a college student, some seasonal workers and friends who'd volunteer for free food.

Running a food truck isn't cheap. Aside from licensing, fees and the truck itself, there was a lot to buy: a fridge, freezer, smoker, food warmers, prep tables, straws, lids, cups, napkins, serving boats, parchment-not to mention all the ingredients. Luckily, a local women's shelter allowed Yvonne to park her vehicle in its lot, and she repaid the kindness by donating her tips and extra food.

To keep up with Brown Shuga's growing demand, Yvonne soon added a second truck, and today both trucks are known for on her popular soul-food recipes. "It's Southern cuisine in the African-American tradition, the kind of food we'd have at Grandma's for Sunday dinner," she says. "I want to bring people that kind of memory."