Check Out Ian Burris’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Burris

Hi Ian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
i started the dankery in my moms garage in 2017. I would take orders on IG and snapchat then deliver them around durham. After a year of saving i purchased a food truck that launched in 2018. the food truck ran for 3 years before moving to a shared commissary kitchen called the hayti collective. We operated there for a year and half then moved into our first space on hillsborough st that was solely the dank. 10 months later we opened our second location in south side raleigh near word of god hs. two weeks ago from today we opened up our third location in south end charlotte! that’s the story in a nut shell but it’s been a rocky road where often it felt like the business was on the brink of falling apart. Many ups and downs and lessons but all in all i’m thankful for the journey, the memories and people i’ve met.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some obstacles i’ve faced were having minimal resources through every stage of the business. starting out there’s little opportunity to get access to capital. with no credit history or proof of concept banks don’t like to work with you. when you do raise the funds they evaporate quickly because you have to reinvest back into the business in order to grow. often just staying in business has felt like a victory.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Food is a way to connect to people. A way to share an idea you come up with to others. i think that inspires me to be innovative in the kitchen. when i taste something and instantly know it’s a hit there’s no better feeling.

I have a passion for soccer. I’ve played since i was a kid and still do to this day. Currently i’m a member of AC Raleigh, Tobacco Road FC, Tardevils SC, and FC Foxhall. In addition i own minority stake in Fort Lauderdale United women’s professional soccer team.

What were you like growing up?
I grew up in durham and was active in athletics. i wanted to play all of the sports. in late middle school i started to get into entrepreneurship. Cutting lawns, making cold cuts before 3rd period lunch, or re selling jerseys and sneakers i always kept busy. cooking was a passion for me but that didn’t translate to entrepreneurship until later down the road. my foundation was build around sports and hustling, they taught me a lot.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thedankery.net
• Instagram: thedankery919 & thedankery704
• LinkedIn: ian burris