- After leaving his full-time job, Jeremy McCoy set up a pop-up grill in a parking lot, hoping to build a loyal customer base.
- A chance encounter with Omaha police — and their social media post — drew unexpected attention and growing community support.
- With steady business and donations, McCoy says he’s within a few thousand dollars of buying his first food truck before winter.
BROADCAST SCRIPT:
At 54th and Ames, a simple gesture between a neighbor and a police officer has sparked something much bigger — a wave of community support for a man chasing his dream.
Jeremy McCoy, who set up a grill in a neighborhood parking lot just two months ago, says cooking for people never feels like work. “I love cooking… it doesn’t feel like a job,” McCoy said.
After walking away from a full-time job, McCoy took a leap of faith to start his own business — grilling plates for neighbors with hopes of someday running his own food truck. “It’s ageless, it’s genderless… and it’s for everyone,” he said. “All I want is for everyone to come try my food.”
The journey hasn’t been easy. “It’s nerve-wracking… I’d be lie if I said I wasn’t praying every night,” McCoy admitted with a laugh.
But a chance encounter last week gave his dream a boost. While McCoy was serving customers, he noticed police pulling someone over nearby. After the stop, he offered the officers free food. They turned him down — saying they couldn’t accept while on duty — but later came back, bought a meal, and shared his story on social media.
Since then, the Omaha Police Officers Association has been promoting McCoy’s pop-up location online, encouraging the community to stop by and support him.
“It was just a genuine, kind act,” McCoy said. “I was literally giving it away for free— I just wanted them to try my food.”
That post caught the attention of people like Jailin Lucero, who stopped by with her mom and son after running errands. “We had the windows down… and got a whiff of what he was cooking,” Lucero said. “We didn’t know what it was — but it smelled really good.”
She wasn’t sure if it was the same man she’d seen online, but decided to give his food a try anyway. “I’m excited because it smells really good,” she said.
For McCoy, every customer matters. “I appreciate everybody and I just hope people continue to support me,” he said. “Just know — your decision-making and character count.”
McCoy can be found at 54th and Ames, throughout the week and at 30th and Pinkney on weekends.
Now, McCoy says he’s just a few thousand dollars away from buying his own food truck — and with the support he’s seen this past week, he believes he’ll reach his goal before winter.
