By Stephanie Robbins Boeding ’99 Photos Julie Pagel Drewes ’90
Coming back for your first Homecoming after graduation is a great experience in itself. But for Krystal Graves ’16, the weekend was much more than that: she also debuted her new business venture, Kubo, a food truck that serves Filipino-American cuisine.
Since her Wartburg “home” had helped her incubate the idea and provided the relationships and resources that made Kubo a reality, it only made sense to have her first event on campus in October 2016.
“Coming to my first-ever Homecoming with Kubo was a huge deal,” Graves said. “It was a train wreck for me, but Wartburg was the perfect place for a first outing with all the support!”
The business administration major didn’t plan on going into the food business at first.
Where to find Kubo Search for Kubo on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see when and where the food truck will be serving food. You can also contact Krystal Graves about catering and special events.
“I’ve been part of restaurants my whole life, and I thought I wanted to get out,” said Graves, whose parents have worked in the restaurant business for more than 30 years in Waterloo and Cedar Falls, operating Waffle Stop and Gravy’s. “I thought I’d get my dream office job.”
She tried accounting, but didn’t find a good fit. Then Wartburg professors Dr. Gloria Campbell and Dr. Allan Bernard brought up an idea that whetted her appetite.
“Gloria brought the food truck idea to me,” Graves said. “She knew the background I had with the food industry and restaurants and asked if I’d thought of food trucks.”
In Bernard’s entrepreneurship class during her final semester, Graves created a business plan for a food truck. Bernard also connected her with alumnus Mike Murphy ’89, president of Powerhouse Retail Services, who earned his MBA at Texas Christian University. Murphy encouraged the class to send a team to TCU’s Values and Ventures business plan competition, which focuses on plans that make a difference in the world.
Graves was part of a team of students that presented a plan featuring a food truck that would use ingredients from local farm suppliers and would donate a portion of profits to a local food co-op.
“It’s probably one of the best experiences I had at Wartburg,” said Graves. “We presented in front of the founder of eHarmony and another food truck operator, so we got amazing feedback. It was really inspiring.”
Though the food truck plan didn’t win prize money at the competition, the idea took hold. Just two months after graduating, Graves and her mom, Madelyn, saw a food trailer for sale at an auction. The trailer was one of the final items up for bid, and Madelyn put up her card. They won the bid, and Graves had the trailer to make her dream come true.
“Sometimes you need that little push to get your dream going,” she said. “I could tell my parents really believed in me. I couldn’t have done it without the support of family, friends, and my Wartburg classmates.”
“Krystal is a great example of what Wartburg students accomplish,” said Bernard. “She not only developed her business plan in the entrepreneurship class, she also researched the industry in her senior seminar research project.”
In her research, Graves found there were no Filipino food options in the Cedar Valley, and food trucks were still a novelty. Personal experience told her everyone loved her mother’s authentic cooking.
“I wanted to honor my mom’s culture. That’s why I chose ‘Kubo’; I wanted to highlight togetherness, which is a huge part of the Filipino way of life,” Graves said, adding that “kubo” means “little hut” in Filipino.
In the year since its Wartburg Homecoming debut, Kubo has gained a following of loyal customers in the area, parking in the lots of local businesses that see the value of hosting a homegrown restaurant on wheels.
“I cook at Gravy’s every day, then take it out in roasters,” said Graves. “We try not to run out.”
The support from her Wartburg family keeps coming, too.
“We’ve had a lot of Wartburg alums come out and say, ‘I’m giving this a try because you’re a Wartburg alum!’”
Graves’ relationship with her professors didn’t end after graduation; though she is no longer a student, their office doors are still open.
“My professors were some of the first that I contacted when I got my trailer,” she said. “And Professor Kim Folkers emails me whenever she sees Kubo in the news.”
Now Graves is one of those alums who, like Murphy, can extend a helping hand to the department’s current students.
“I get to speak at a Business Visit Day and do a food truck simulation with prospective students,” she said. Her business is an example to students to follow their dreams, even if the path isn’t the norm. “Some people looked down that I was going to do a food truck after going to college. Work your butt off, follow your dream. I don’t have to have a certain job just to impress someone.”
The giving back doesn’t end there. Taking inspiration from her leadership classes at Wartburg, Graves knew she wanted her business to do good in the world.
“The leadership minor really made you think about your whole experience and your purpose,” she said. Kubo has partnered with Water to Thrive, a faith-based nonprofit spreading awareness about the global water crisis. “I’m happy to help advertise a good cause and give a percentage back to an organization.”
What’s next for the mobile business?
As word gets out about her unique cuisine on wheels, she’s had requests to take Kubo outside the Cedar Valley. During the cold months, she also takes on more catering jobs.
“People have asked me if I want a brick and mortar location, and no, not right now. I want to be able to travel.”
There is one place you’ll surely find her each year, though: “home” for Homecoming & Family Weekend, serving up food to her Wartburg family.