Meet Chef Joseph, owner of Virginia Beach-based hot sauce brand and Norfolk seafood restaurant

Our monthly chef series highlights those in the local food industry.

People may know him as Chef Joseph but his real name is Darrell Anderson.

He’s the owner of Chef Joseph’s Kick Sauce, a hot sauce brand based in Virginia Beach, and Chef Joseph’s Seafood and Grill at the Norfolk Premium Outlets food court. The menu consists of items such as fish, shrimp, burgers, sausages and grilled hot dogs and chicken tenders.

Anderson opened his restaurant in June so that people could find him on a regular basis. It was the next step in building his brand.

“You only live once,” he said, “why not try it?”

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Anderson was at a church fish fry in Roanoke years ago when he asked a tall guy named Joseph for hot sauce to go with the fish that he served him. Joseph didn’t have any with him but said he made his own.

Anderson, who had recently closed his barbershop, told Joseph to call him if he ever wanted to go into business. About a year later, Joseph called and Anderson bought the company from him.

That’s why the sauce carries the Joseph name and Anderson added chef to brand it.

Anderson, a Lynchburg native, came to this area about 16 years ago, looking for a change. He lived at a Norfolk homeless shelter until he got on his feet. He also knew after acquiring the hot sauce business he needed to be near water where fresh fish was plentiful but the businessman never intended to cook.

“If you have hot sauce, you need to be around fish,” he said.

Anderson arrived in Hampton Roads with 12 bottles of sauce in his trunk. People often asked him why he wasn’t a chef since it was the sauce’s name. He never gave it much thought but, after a while, he enrolled in the culinary program at Tidewater Community College while working for day labor and temporary agencies. Financial aid also helped and sometimes he donated plasma. He rode his bike to school on days when his van broke down.

With his busy schedule, he still found a commercial kitchen in Virginia Beach to rent to make hot sauce. Folks didn’t know that he was homeless.

“As I got into the culinary world, it just opened up. I saw the success of other chefs and decided to turn my hot sauce brand into my own company.”

Anderson finished school in 2019 and had more time to commit to his business. He sold hot sauce at farmers markets throughout Tidewater every Saturday morning, stopping at barbershops and hair salons en route.

He ordered two fish pots from Amazon, got a tent and started frying fish during lunchtime in local areas.

“People loved my fish,” Anderson said.

He hired guys at the shelter to help. This allowed him to purchase a trailer about five years ago. He expanded to vending at festivals and food shows.

The interview has been edited for brevity.

What makes your hot sauce special or unique? It has flavor and it’s not too hot. It’s made with a vinegar-based mango puree.

What should people expect when they visit Chef Joseph’s Seafood and Grill? It’s a food court setup with fresh items cooked made-to-order. I use all beef products, no pork. I recommend ordering the fish and shrimp platter.

What advice would you give entrepreneurs? Make sure your product is solid before stepping out there and investing your money. Believe in your dreams and never give up.

Who is or was your mentor? My mentor was James Jones, a 60-something retired police officer with a long gray beard. He came into my life in my early to mid-20s and helped me believe in myself. I was sitting in the Lynchburg Public Library on a Saturday morning and he came and sat beside me. He asked me to help him with the computer. He said, “You seem like a smart young man.” He talked to me and gave me his number. He ended up mentoring me for about seven years until he passed away.

I was able to start my barbershop, medical transport business and taxi service in the Bedford area. He believed in me.

What would you be doing if you weren’t in the food industry? I would be a public speaker and entrepreneur who writes books on self-development.

What’s next for you? Building my business. Hiring and providing jobs to people who can’t find them. Inspiring others to tap into their greatest potential no matter where they are in life.

Chef Joseph’s Kick Sauce & Seafood and Grill, 1600 Premium Outlets Blvd., Norfolk, 757-937-0560; chefjosephskicksauce.com

Rekaya Gibson, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia.com, 757-295-8809; on Twitter, @gibsonrekaya