Tremaine Devine was not born in the South, but he’s no stranger to its kitchens. Inside restaurants like Zorba’s Greek Bistro, Bistro Byronz and The Little Village, he’s pleased local tastebuds.
These days, the Chicago native is whipping up plates through his catering and food truck business.
Inside Tre’s Street Kitchen, Devine slings burgers, pastas, birria nachos and more. The mobile eatery also has served hungry fans at Tiger Stadium and busy students at Southern University and Southeastern University. Devine has even bottled his signature Tre’s Street Sauce, which is sold on Amazon and his website.
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These projects recently earned him attention from the likes of The New York Times, Heinz and Chase.
He’s had catering jobs in other states, too, but Devine, 46, made the trek from Illinois to Louisiana after enrolling at the Louisiana Culinary Institute. There, he learned how to fuse his Midwestern roots with Southern flair.
Growing up, Devine rarely went without a home-cooked meal. He learned his grandmother’s recipes for buttery rolls, holiday sides and meaty mains.
“I still keep some of her recipes, but now the times are a little more modern. I kind of have to put a twist to it,” he says.
Devine’s grandparents raised him and helped him realize his passions. After losing them, he fell on hard times and served prison time following a drug charge. He says these experiences made him stronger—and led him to work toward his goals.
“Coming from the South Side of Chicago, you’re not expected to do the things that I’ve done,” Devine says. “It’s actually frowned upon, because you’re leaving people behind. People that are not doing as much don’t like that.”
Devine dreamed of his own concept. After finding a food truck in Ohio, he traveled 13-and-a-half hours to get it. On the journey, he came up with a business plan and a tasty menu. Thus, Tre’s Street Kitchen was born.
But, he is not done yet. Next, he hopes to grow a new concept called Devine Foods, which he likens to a food distributor that supplies meals to prisons, schools and more. He also hopes to grow his staff, so he can step back a little and better manage his business.
Through it all, Devine still holds on to his grandmother’s work ethic and love for feeding others. He thinks she would love what he’s doing now, but admits she’d probably find something he could improve on.
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“She just liked to please people, and that’s where I got it from. My grandfather was the same way,” he says. “If I can do anything to make you happy, that’s what I’ll do. And, it’s cooking—that’s what I’m pretty good at.”
But, the five-star Yelp reviews and Instagram comments raving about his food suggest he might be better than “pretty good.”
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