Meet Brian Murphy of Big Apple Bodega

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Murphy.

Hi Brian, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My very first job at age 15 in upstate New York was at a local deli. That is where I found my love for food! After the deli, I was a restaurant server for years before I decided to go to the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida.

After school, I found myself living and working in NYC and loving the city and all it has to offer. I was a GM for several restaurants but I have always wanted to own my own place or truck. I had the opportunity to get my dreams up and running this year with my very own food truck!

With my NYC roots and my love for food, I decided to bring NYC to Denver with a Chopped Cheese food truck.

We just announced on September 26th, 2022 that we now have franchising opportunities available. We are the first ever and only chopped cheese franchise on the market in the USA!! With over 48 5-star google reviews, we are super excited for what the future holds.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a relatively smooth ride! I had some experience working on a truck last summer and did a ton of research before I opened for business. Don’t get me wrong, we had some bumps along the way. I think one of our biggest obstacles is that people are not familiar with what a Chopped Cheese sandwich is. I used to think that this might be a curse, however I really believe that it is a blessing.

When people try us, they love us! And when we get New Yorkers that come out to see us, there are so happy and grateful that we are around!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Big Apple Bodega?
We are a Chopped Cheese food truck in Denver and the surrounding areas. Chopped Cheese is a type of sandwich originating from New York City. Found in bodegas throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, THE CHOPPED CHEESE is made on a grill with ground beef, onions and topped by melted cheese and served with lettuce, tomatoes, and condiments on a hero roll. We offer The Sinatra which is our take on the classic chopped cheese and then we have a bunch of variations of the Sinatra. We have a Hawaiian, Cuba, Italian, Fajita, BBQ and more! For sides, we offer homemade potato salad, churros, dirty water dogs and more! We also offer our sandwiches served over a bed of potato skins (our version of fries) for those who don’t want bread. We call it Stadium Style! All of our kaiser rolls and heroes are shipped in from the east coast. Our Sabrett hotdogs are shipped in as well. It’s the same dirty water dog you will get at Yankee or Shea stadium!!!

I’m super proud to be the first and only Chopped Cheese franchise on the market today! I would love to see trucks all throughout the US serving our delicious sandwiches and sides!

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Growing up on Long Island was great because it is so close to everything the city and Manhattan has to offer. My favorite childhood memory would be my parents taking myself and all my brothers into the city from Long Island to go see a Yankee game! There’s nothing like seeing the Yankees in person! Getting the peanuts and dirty water dogs!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bigapplebodega.co
• Instagram: @bigapplebodega
• Facebook: @bigapplebodega
• Twitter: @bigapplebodega
• Youtube: @bigapplebodega
• Yelp: @bigapplebodega
• Other: franchising@bigapplebodega.co