We’re starting a new series on #FamiliarFaces. These are people in the food scene whose faces you might recognize but whose stories you probably don’t know. They are good at what they do, fun to talk to and just seem interesting—people we all want to know more about. So we’re starting the conversation for you!
Photography by Kim Thomas
Meet Nick Fox, 31, a single father of one who hails from Jacksonville, a small town in northeast Alabama.
He originally came to Memphis to help a friend get settled into a new home, and ultimately decided to stay for a new start himself.
Now Nick does pretty much everything on the front line and bar side at City Silo Table + Pantry. Owner Rebekah Tashie says Nick is hard working and always has a smile on his face. “He truly cares about his food creations as well as each customer he serves,” she says.
“Honestly, he’s also just a really cool dude and we love having him with us!”
We hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as we did.
Edible Memphis: You’re relatively new to Memphis. Tell us how you landed here.
Nick Fox: I moved here to help a friend move and to do some remodeling and decided to stay. My hometown is pretty small, so Memphis is definitely an upgrade as far as opportunities. I lived in East Memphis and then moved to Southaven. My sister lives in Southaven. I love Memphis, but as far as just living-wise, Southaven is just enough. I decided to move there to get away from the rush and the traffic. If I want to come into the city, it’s just 25 minutes.
How did you get connected to City Silo?
City Silo is one of the places I’d like to eat when I’d visit Memphis. The menu is really well put together, and this is a really unique place for the city. With me having a passion for nutrition, I felt like it would be a good opportunity. So I came in to dine one night and asked if they were hiring.
What’s cool about your current job?
Being able to connect with different cultures and promote healthy eating are the main things that I love about my job. It’s a really good feeling to know that I’m serving customers good nutrition and ingredients.
Does anything in particular stress you out at work?
Not really, to be honest. I’m always in a positive mood. I love all my coworkers, and I love being around a big staff. That keeps me in a very good mood. I never have bad days. Good nutrition has always given me the energy I need to get through the day. If you feel good, that’s gonna keep you in a good mood. All my coworkers and friends know me as having a lot of energy.
What do you like to recommend from City Silo’s menu?
I love the salads. The [Get in the] Chopper salad is one of the best. It’s so fulfilling, especially when you modify it and add a plant-based burger to it.
If you weren’t working at City Silo, where would you be?
I’ve been trying to find an opportunity with a local farm. I want to try to get into raising a lot of different healthy crops.
Do you have a side hustle?
I’ve been a part of the Juice Plus+ company for a few years now as a direct distributor. Having a passion for nutrition is what got me into the company. Their whole-food-based nutrition product comes from some of the best growers around the world, supported by over 30 clinical studies. It’s definitely something I plan on committing to for as long as I can.
What’s your dream job?
My dream career job is to travel and explore different natural growers. It has a lot to do with the Juice Plus+ company. Just seeing a lot of our footage—our fruits and vegetables come from some of the best growers around the world.
You’ve mentioned a “passion for nutrition” a couple of times. How did you develop that?
A friend and I got into watching some documentaries. Then my sister introduced me to Juice Plus+, and that drew me to nutrition. I fell in love with the product. It gave me life. It made me feel better.
You’re a dad. How does your enthusiasm for nutrition affect the way you parent?
With kids you make it fun. That way they learn from the start. I let my daughter participate in cooking and choosing healthy options. Like fruits, for example—all kids love fruit. It’s tricky, but it can be fun if you make it fun.
What’s a typical meal for you at home?
I just came off of the vegan diet, which I started right after I had a four-wheeler wreck. I was out of work from surgery for months. I used veganism to do my transformation. The doctors told me I wasn’t going to be able to work out anymore, so I used that as a fuel and switched to veganism. I wanted to see if I’d look better and feel better, and I did. Now I’m a vegetarian, and I’ve been doing a lot of meal prepping in bulk. I eat a lot of good carbs and stir fry.
Tell us something no one else knows about you
I’m not a good reader, and I don’t care to read. I never did it in school—I bought books but chose not to read them. That’s definitely something I need to improve.
What’s on your playlist?
Listening to music is one of my daily hobbies. I love good music, all different kinds. I listen to everything from reggae to country to R&B. I listen to rap when I work out. It depends on the vibe or the mood I’m in. I love so much music there’s really not a favorite. It definitely gets me through the day.
What’s your favorite thing about Memphis?
It is filled with a lot of soul and a lot of good people.
When a friend visits Memphis, where do you take them?
I would take my friend to Shelby Farms. That was one of the first places I visited when I came to Memphis. I like the downtown area too, and the Midtown area—it’s funky.
What do you do for fun?
I enjoy good company with smiles and laughter. Surrounding myself with good energy is one of the best feelings in the world, and it’s really fun to connect with different people. And being creative and adventurous with nature lights up my soul with so much fun and joy as well.
What’s your personal style philosophy?
Just being who you are. I feel like natural is beautiful. Being in a bigger city has made me realize how different cultures are comfortable with the naturality, whether religion or culture or whatever. Being in the city has made me embrace that.
Do you have a mentor?
My cousin, Tiffany Fox, because she educates me on life, my future and how to remain humble and positive to get the best out of life. I trust her for guidance.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Exploring the world by interacting with different farmers and cultures nutritionally to make an impact on the youth.
If you could have a meal with anyone in the Memphis area, who would it be? Where would you go
A pretty afternoon out at City Silo for lunch with a good friend of mine, Susanne Edson, who is a national marketing director for Juice Plus+. She’s been such an inspiration as far as what I’ve been trying to do with nutrition. I’d definitely get a Chopper salad or Kale Caesar! salad.
Stacey Greenberg is the editor in chief of Edible Memphis. You can follow her at @nancy_jew.
Manda Gibson is copy editor at Edible Memphis. Most days you can find her running on the streets of Memphis, cooking “real food” meals for her family and silently judging the grammar of everyone she meets.
Kim Thomas is a lifestyle blogger and photographer based in Memphis. Launched in September 2010, her blog KP Fusion provides of-the-moment fashion, style and beauty tips and trends with a little Memphis flavor thrown in. @kpfusion