Grilling and chopping away, like clockwork every other day, Torris Cooper of Coops Pit BBQ in South Florida shared the dedication he has for his family business with Local 10 News on Wednesday.
“We show up at three, but we’re up at 6 (a.m.), doing this, cause that’s what it takes. When you’re passion-driven, it’s not work,” said Cooper.
But this past Monday, Memorial Day, was a departure from the norm, as Cooper said he caught the attention of none other than food critic and social media sensation, Keith Lee, who currently has over 2 million followers on Instagram and more than 16 million on TikTok.
“My family was driving around Miami, Florida, and we saw this BBQ food truck, rolling. When I say rolling, he had the whole block smoking,” said Lee to his followers in a live video on Instagram.
And in Keith Lee fashion, the review went viral.
“A whole chicken, a slab of ribs, with sides of coleslaw, greens and baked beans,” said Lee when talking about Cooper’s food. “It’s real tender, and juicy. I like that sauce, too. Oh my God! Too sweet for me!”
“I sweetened the beans up, yeah... he was right on. I said, oh yeah, he’s got an excellent palate,” said Cooper.
After asking for more food, Lee surprised Cooper with $3,000, a gesture that took him by surprise.
“I said, for what, really? Cause I’m like, whoa dude. And he surely did. He said Lee told him to ‘Put $3,000 on this card,’ and before I took it, I said, hey, can I have your ID?”' said Cooper.
“He’s like, ‘This food’s phenomenal,”' said Cooper. “I took a picture with him and it kind of went crazy from there.”
After 30 years in the family business, Kelvin Cooper, Torris Cooper’s brother, said he would never expect this.
“We’re grateful that we’re here and we still look forward to serving the community,” says Kelvin Cooper.
Wherever you’re at, we’re the Cooper’s, Coops Pit BBQ, we’re grateful,” said Torris Cooper.
Click here for more information on Coops Pit BBQ.