Margaret, Margaret's Soul Food, Department of Transportation Farmers Market

Where do you want to be 5 years from now?
"Sitting on my butt on a beach in Jamaica"

You can hear Margaret from a mile away. Her shrill voice echoing throughout the stands, Her energy infects the entire market, pulling customers in as soon as they walk out of their office doors. She fondly refers to everyone as honey or sweetie, and then commands them to try her "soul food." The 9 dollar plate she offers with 2 sides, may consist of jerk chicken, mac and cheese, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fish...etc. A wide range of meals that draw inspiration from the south and the Caribbean. Margaret started the business about 5 years ago. Using her mother's recipes she began her own cooking company that does carry out and sells at the Department of Transportation market on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Margaret employs 4 other people to help sell and cook. They rotate working with Margaret at the stand every week.  Each employee copies Margaret's outgoing selling technique, interacting and pulling in every potential customer.  Margaret lives in Fairfax county, Virginia, while her kitchen is in Arlington, from  where the carry out is done. She spends 70 hours a week on her business devoted to making it profitable. On this day, Margaret's sidekick is Charles. Slightly older then your average vendors, the pair make a formidable team. They corral construction workers, secretaries, office employees, just about anyone to buy a plate for lunch. They are the definition of salesman, extremely outgoing, sweet as sugar, attentive, however at all times focused on making money. The only stand with a tip jar, it quickly fills up. The market is the perfect canvas for Margaret's business. The hungry government workers will happily ignore the less-then healthy calories and nutritional facts in exchange for a relatively well priced delicious lunch of unique"soul food" right outside their door. A little conversation and a couple compliments doesn't hurt either.