Duane Myko grew up vegan. His mother created meatless meals every day, because plant-based foods helped her manage the sometimes-debilitating symptoms of lupus. Duane only had a problem with the tasteless burgers she ate. He decided to use his entrepreneurial experience and community connections to bring flavorful and nutritious plant-based foods to market. He called on his friends, Chef Jumoke Jackson (aka “Mr. Foodtastic”) and Danita Jones with her passion for healthy eating, and the trio, born and bred in Washington, DC, founded Everything Legendary. First off the presses was the Legendary Burger.
Jumoke created a proprietary recipe that tastes just like beef and includes hemp protein, coconut oil, two types of paprika, dried herbs, dried citrus and a broth made in-house. In addition to being totally plant-based, the burger is soy free and gluten free. Next step was to find a commercial kitchen—an expensive proposition. Fortunately, the Union Kitchen in Northeast Washington is a food business accelerator. Small businesses share equipment and get help with launching and growing.
The Legendary Burger comes in four varieties: the classic burger, a burger infused with cheddar cheese, a burger infused with cayenne pepper cheese, and a burger infused with pepper jack cheese—all cheeses vegan, of course. They come in boxes of four burgers, all one kind, or eight burgers, a variety pack. Every box comes with a bottle of their signature Legend Sauce.
Everything Legendary launched in 2019, and they were doing really well selling to local grocery stores and restaurants in the Washington area. And then COVID. Without missing a beat, they switched to an eCommerce, direct-to-consumer business model and began delivering Legendary Burgers across the country.
The Legendary Team
- Duane graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and founded the “Should Could Dream Tour” to motivate teens. He has entertained at high schools around the country with his excitement-filled show that uses poetry and comedy to inspire teens to keep in mind what they want from life, work hard and grab on to opportunities.
- Danita graduated from Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland, and works with young people as an educator and cheerleading coach, always a role model for healthy eating. She contributes her business experience, global mindset and strategies to the success of Everything Legendary. Danita enjoys working in and giving back to the community where she was raised.
- Jumoke started cooking as a kid to help his overworked single mother. Fortunately, he graduated from burnt eggs and raw turkey to a chopping, mixing, sauteing artiste working for 4-star hotels to the proprietor of Entrée Metropolitan, a boutique catering and event planning company that serves the DC politicians, sports stars and celebrities. He also is a motivational speaker, encouraging youth to hang on to their dreams.
Not Just About Burgers
The mission for Everything Legendary is more than to sell food; it includes:
- Making the world a healthier place by producing delicious plant-based products.
- Educating the community on the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.
- Creating a healthy lifestyle for families by breaking the cycle of unhealthy eating that has been passed from one generation to another.
- Inspiring the next generation of Black entrepreneurs.
The team is also about giving back to their educational roots at HBCUs. Legendary launched its new HBCU and Greek Lifestyle Boxes, which include a variety of burgers and the sauce and a free Greek letter gift.
Use Legendary Burgers to create your own recipes.
See the Everything Legendary website for recipes:
- Vegan Shiitake Burgers
- Spicy Guac Burgers
- Smokin’ Hot Vegan Tacos
