Ben Thompson, the founder and Executive Chef of Hoodfellas, never dreamed so many people would flock to something he created. Ben and Ira grew up around the corner from each other in Penn North, a low-income neighborhood in West Baltimore. They became close friends after Ira intervened between Ben and a neighbor during an argument, and as Ben says, “It was locked in from there.” Ben has always considered himself to be an entrepreneur; as a kid, he was inspired by his cousin (who has since passed away) to start selling hot dogs and hamburgers on the street. Surprised at how quickly the food sold, he progressed to catering small events and selling meals to neighbors, friends, and family members out of his home kitchen. Ben recalls, “That’s when I realized, I can do this. The feedback about the food was good. I wanted to keep scaling up.”