Food truck owner tries to combat misinformation about Haitian immigrants

SALT LAKE CITY — Roody Salvator is the owner of Makaya Caters, a food truck that serves the “taste of Haiti.” He immigrated to the U.S. in 2004 and is one of the few chefs in Utah serving dishes from his home country.

“Unfortunately, Haitians are usually [are] not known for its cuisine because we've had so many bad things,” he said. “We've had natural disasters, we've had poverty, we've had political unrest, we've had gang violence, and all of that has sucked the oxygen out of the beautiful things we have in Haiti, and to me, the cuisine is one of the most beautiful things.”

Salvator said Donald Trump's comments against Haitian immigrants in Ohio during last week's presidential debate have set him back in ways he never imagined.

“They're eating the dogs, the people who came here,” Trump said. “They're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people who live there.”

Salvator typically makes more than $1,000 at the Downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays; this weekend he made about $350, he says.

“It was incredible because someone literally came in and said, 'Cat or dog?'” Salvator said.

City officials in Springfield, Ohio, say there are no credible reports of Trump's claims. The chef doesn't know how to combat the rumor.

“When you eat a plate, you get almost all the flavors,” Salvator said. “You get sweet, salty, spicy, tart, umami, and the connection of those flavors with the culture is amazing.”

He fears these words could destroy the business he has built over the past decade.

“If this continues, I don’t know what will happen to my business.”

Salvator parks the Makaya Caters truck every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in Rose Park at 1000 North on Victoria Way. Most Saturdays he is at the Farmers Market in Pioneer Park all day; on Saturday the 21st he will be at Afro Fest in Library Square.