About Us
One Love Food Truck was created in 2017 by Chef Clive Thompson and business Partner Amanda Anderson. Innovating the food truck experience, One Love Food Truck combines fast, gourmet-quality food with real island flavor, vibrant reggae music, and genuine customer service to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
Like the classic Bob Marley song it’s named after – “One love, one heart/Let’s get together and feel all right” – One Love Food Truck is about bringing people together through nourishment and joyous moments.The One Love brand is known for flavorful, fresh, and healthy offerings, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. The “real island flavor” concept is a modern take on both Caribbean and Key West’s cuisines. This fusion concept features a gourmet influence on traditional island tastes. One Love Food Truck and Chef Clive’s culinary influences come from Jamaica, Key West, the Caribbean, and Asian and African cuisines.
Our philosophy is to follow the motto of “One Love” in all we do: One Love in preparing the food, One Love in serving our guests, One Love for our environment and community. Although our One Love Food Truck team comes from different backgrounds, together, we are united by our One Love philosophy. As a team, we embody an American tradition: We started our own business from the ground up to offer extraordinary products and services.
One Love Food Truck is located at the Chevron on Stock Island, 5220 Overseas Highway, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. for lunch and dinner. We put One Love into all we do, using fresh, healthy and full-of-flavor quality ingredients. One Love Food Truck offers catering, party platters and personal chef services, and meals for boat day charters to the sandbar, fishing or sunset sails.
View our party platter menu.
Please call ahead for daily hours: 305-393-9169
About Chef Clive
Co-founder and Owner
Clive Chef Thompson was born and raised in Jamaica, where he was born and raised. In the late 1990s, he was accepted into the Culinary Academy of Long Island in New York to begin pursuing his dream of becoming an established chef.
Chef Clive worked at two of Long Island's most prestigious and luxurious event venues: Chateau Briand and Carlyle on the Green. While at Carlyle, Chef Clive designed and led the catering operations for the 2002 U.S. Open, bringing delectable Caribbean flavor to the golf championship.
Next, Chef Clive left New York to accept a position at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and later worked at World Center Marriott in Orlando.
As a native Jamaican, Chef Clive was drawn back to the tropical island life. He found the perfect spot was searching for: the balmy, sun-splashed life in Key West, Florida.
Bringing his skills and distinctive portfolio of recipes and sauces to the Florida Keys, Chef Clive found a home in the Southernmost City. He lives on the water in Key West, letting the ocean, sun and sand provide daily inspiration.
Chef Clive has worked at several fine-dining restaurants in Key West. He was Executive Chef at the Key West Harbor Yacht Club on Stock Island for almost a decade before striking out on his own with a Key West business partner to create One Love Food Truck, where he is Executive Chef.
In addition to developing the innovative One Love Food Truck menu, Chef Clive created popular original sauces, all house-made. Chef Clive is available for personal chef services for a unique and intimate small group experience. He will shop, prepare, and serve gourmet dishes for guests in the comfort of their vacation rental homes, on yachts at the dock, or for small weddings and events. Chef Clive is known for personally tending to every detail in the kitchen and on each plate.
Q & A with Chef Clive:
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There have been many chefs and mentors who have guided me along the way from New York to Orlando in Disney World. But the most inspiring leader I worked alongside is Chef Martin Liz. He has gone above and beyond for me as a true brother in the food and beverage business from way back in the day. He exemplifies what it means to have One Love for myself, my staff and for our island community. Chef Martin walks the walk of what Key Westers say here: “One Human Family.” I’m grateful for him.
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From “Wake up and Live” by Bob Marley and the Wailers:
“Life is one big road with lots of signs
So when you riding through the ruts
Don't you complicate your mind
Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy
Don't bury your thoughts
Put your dream to reality, yeah
All together now!
Wake up and live, yeah!”
That song inspired us to create one of our burgers of the week: the Wake Up and Live Burger.
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Work hard every day. There is no shortcut in owning your own business. And to new chefs, be patient. A lot of ideas come over time…time behind the wheel.
About Amanda Anderson
Co-Founder & Business Partner
Amanda Anderson grew up in Seattle & North Carolina and first moved to live full-time in Key West in 2008. She worked at Tavern N Town and the Pier House Resort and Spa. She left to pursue work on the mainland. After working in event management, in sales and marketing, in the service industry, and on numerous political campaigns, Amanda followed her love of island life and all things neon and boomeranged back to Key West in 2016, where she began working for a boutique, luxury vacation rental company.
While in this role, Amanda noticed a demand for personal chef, catering and even professional knife sharpening services for her guests. True to her lifelong entrepreneurial spirit, Amanda became the driving force behind creating the One Love Food Truck business.True to her lifelong entrepreneurial spirit, Amanda became the driving force behind creating the One Love Food Truck business.
Amanda holds a degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in Political Science and Philosophy and has worked on political campaigns at the local, state and presidential level, traveling to Iowa and New Hampshire from her then-home base in Washington, D.C. She is now fully retired from politics. Amanda brings an extensive background in events management, systems creation and implementation, marketing and management to lead the team at One Love Food Truck.
She has also lived and worked in Seattle, Dallas and Austin, but found a true home in Key West. Amanda is an advocate for the community, including art in public places, and environmental responsibility. She loves a good gluten-free ice cream sandwich or rum cake, neon hats and outfits, bull terriers – rest in peace Chico and Archie – and all things related to the ocean. Occasionally Amanda will perform stand up comedy @ Comedy Key West. Outside of work, you could spot her at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park – or in the neon spray paint section at Home Depot.
Q & A with Amanda Anderson:
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I recognize talent. And I saw tremendous talent in Chef Clive and felt his culinary skills deserved a wider audience so more people could enjoy his cuisine. I wasn’t on the cheerleading team in high school. But in my life, over and over again I have met talented people and became inspired to help them find success in their fields.
I personally wanted to eat gluten-free conch fritters and gluten free rum cakes – I love island cuisine but also wanted a healthier twist on these items and nobody was doing it. I initially wanted this food for myself, but then also saw the business potential in creating something that did not yet exist even in the amazing Key West restaurant scene. I knew Chef Clive and I could create something exciting and new. Our beginnings were very humble. We didn’t have outside investors or the money to hire advisors. But between the two of us we definitely had the skills, and the desire and drive to succeed. I knew my marketing, logistics and business background matched with Chef Clive’s incredible culinary skills and experience would result in an amazing food truck business. Which it did! I am so proud of what we have been built at One Love Food Truck.
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I’ve learned what it takes to succeed as a small business owner: a huge amount of hard work day in and day out is the minimum requirement. I’ve learned about real market variables and the specific challenges that come with running a business in Key West. But, One Love Food Truck also drew me into a love and respect for reggae music. I knew some Bob Marley here and there, of course, but I really began listening to reggae on a completely new level, and the music taught me so much spiritually. In the beginning, I wasn’t focused on the lyrics in many songs. But, the rhythm always spoke to me. In time, I started actually studying these beautiful songs to really hear and begin to understand the timeless messages woven into the music. For me, reggae is healing. Reggae has truth and messages that really come through in the rhythms and lyrics. There is so much magic and healing that comes from the island way of life. This by far was one of the biggest takeaways from meeting and knowing Chef Clive, reggae and the One Love vibes.
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From the 30th U.S. President Calvin Coolidge:
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.”
Our Story
Chef Clive Thompson and Amanda Anderson met in Bahama Village in 2008 when Chef Clive was selling Jerk Chicken, Cracked Conch and Ceviche out of a walk-up eatery called “Conch Town.”
Later that year, their paths crossed again while working together in fine dining at Tavern N Town. As a server, Amanda always admired Chef Clive’s culinary talent and believed he could break out on his own to create his own menu and run his own kitchen. She told him this often.
Chef Clive became Executive Chef at the Key West Harbor Yacht Club on Stock Island, while Amanda moved to Washington D.C. to pursue a career in politics. But the two friends stayed in touch and Amanda would always meet up with him on visits to Key West. Ready for a new chapter outside of politics, events, and a startup vitamin supplement manufacturing business in Texas, Amanda decided to “retire” from the mainland for good in 2016 and returned to the tight-knit island community of Key West. She’s staying put.
Amanda worked for a luxury vacation rental company and began hiring Chef Clive to make welcome gifts like rum cakes, charcuterie and fruit platters for guests. She hired him to professionally sharpen knives, and to provide private chef services for people vacationing in Key West. Ready to create a business of her own, Amanda knew partnering with Chef Clive would be the key to success.
They were a perfect match for building One Love Food Truck. Chef Clive brought the culinary talents, cooking skills and his Jamaican heritage and Amanda brought a background in business organization and planning, social media expertise and an entrepreneurial spirit. The longtime friends and co-workers, brought together by the restaurant scene in Key West, launched a shared dream of owning and operating their own company. In 2016, the two had goals on paper. Chef Clive was ready for a new start in the food business and Amanda wanted to introduce the world to Chef Clive’s delicious jerk-encrusted tuna, and create gluten-free conch fritters and gluten-free rum cakes. They began to discuss possibly working together. Amanda wanted to run her own business and Chef Clive was ready to own his own kitchen. Soon, One Love Food Truck was born.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS AND HONORS
@ One Love Food Truck
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Chef Clive Thompson and Amanda Anderson began meeting regularly to develop a business plan centered around personal chef services at vacation rental homes, private catering events and creating a food truck business in Key West.
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Chef Clive and Amanda host pop-up event “Reggae Sunday” at Mellow Café, an event with live reggae music, jerk chicken and great vibes with Chef Clive on site.“Big thanks to Rob Oliverio for always supporting us!,” Amanda says.
“Chef Clive in a Nutshell LLC” — www.chefclivethompson.com — a catering company that specializes in personal chef services, catering and breakfast items via a food truck, is officially formed. Chef Clive and Amanda land several personal chef gigs in vacation rental homes, and are hired to deliver food to Mel Fisher’s Treasures investor relations events. Special thanks to Megan McDowell for hiring us for these early day catering events.
The business grows step by step, as Chef Clive keeps his full-time job at the Yacht Club on Stock Island, and Amanda works full-time in vacation rentals. Chef Clive opens One Love in the mornings, handles the breakfast shift before going to work at the Yacht Club. Amanda works on business tasks while she also works her full-time job.
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Primarily offering limited Breakfast menu + Lunch Menu, Catering + Personal Chef Services
Chef Clive leaves his job at the Yacht Club to work full-time on developing and working the food truck. Amanda works part-time on operations and marketing as much as possible while continuing to work full time in vacation rental management.
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Chef Clive hires a Sous Chef to work with him at the food truck. Without enough to pay Amanda a full-time salary at One Love, she juggles multiple jobs while running events for the food truck when needed.
Amanda quits her full-time job in vacation rentals and works various part-time gigs so she can dedicate more to growing the food truck. She took on concierge work and she joined the successful team at Better Than Sex - A Dessert Restaurant and is mentored and trained by entrepreneurs and restaurateurs Dani and Len Johnson. Amanda says, “Thank you Len and Dani for showing me what is possible. Thank you for hiring me. You both have had a tremendous impact on my life. You are true leaders and innovators in the industry and I will forever admire your creativity, love for the craft and your genuine passion for food and beverage operations and your true detailed care for the guest’s experience. It was an honor to work alongside you and learn from the best of the best.”
Chef Clive and Amanda rebrand their venture as One Love Food Truck. They create new menus, a new look and a new website.
In March, the team drives the food truck to the famous “Taste of Key West” event, making their big breakthrough debut in the Key West restaurant scene.
June 2019 – One Love Food Truck wins Best Main Dish at Mango Fest with their Hot Tuna Tacos.
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In January 2020, One Love Food Truck wins 2nd place in the entrée category at the Master Chef’s Classic with their herb-crusted pork Milanese with grilled artichoke and heirloom tomato with lemon poppy seed cream.
(Latitudes won 1st Place, Bagatelle won 3rd Place)The widely attended Master Chef’s Classic, which benefits MARC House in Key West, always brings out the best fine dining restaurant chefs on the island to compete in various categories. The One Love team of three – Chef Clive, Sous Chef Jean and Amanda Anderson serve more than 400 small plates at the event and against all odds, win 2nd place in the esteemed entree category with Latitudes winning 1st place Bagatelle winning 3rd place.
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Early March 2020 – Drove Truck to Sloppy Joe’s for Rising High – “Reggae on the Rock” Bahama Relief Fund serving food to raise money for the people of the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian devastates the region. The all-day event featured multiple live reggae musical acts. One Love Food Truck was in its true element and hitting its stride!
After feeling high on this successful and fun event which raised thousands of dollars for needy Bahamians, a week later, the response to the Covid-19 pandemic hits, leading to lockdowns and restrictions on restaurants.
One Love Food Truck stays OPEN as an Essential Service
Amanda’s other jobs evaporated and so she finally got to come on full time at the food truck. A true blessing in disguise. Amanda ran the cash register, grew + organized the operation, did deliveries Old Town to Sugarloaf sometimes while simultaneously taking orders.
Chef Clive remained calm as he always does and just kept moving things forward keeping the kitchen running, implementing the changing COVID protocols, and kept working hard day in and day out making the best out of the lockdown conditions.
One Love Food Truck is established, growing into the landmark business it is today on Stock Island.
One Love Food Truck adds a garden of plants and art pieces to make the most of their space at the Chevron station on Stock Island. The operation flourishes, and expands to Old Town and up the Overseas Highway as far as Sugarloaf Key during the lockdown.
Personal chef events and catering jobs slowly return, along with pop-up events across Key West.
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July 2021 – Nominated BEST FOOD TRUCK for Keys Weekly BUBBA AWARDS
(Top 3 Food Trucks in Key West)September 2021 – Won 2nd Place at Annual Shot’s at Giggles BBQ Rib Battle
(Cuban Coffee BBQ Ribs)December 2021 –Won Trip Advisor’s Traveler’s Choice Award 2021
(Trip Advisor ranks One Love Food Truck as the top 10% of restaurants from consistently earning great reviews from travelers) -
June 2022 – Nominated “BEST FOOD TRUCK” in Keys Weekly BUBBA AWARDS
(Top 3 Food Trucks in Key West) -
June 2023 – Nominated “BEST FOOD TRUCK” in Keys Weekly BUBBA AWARDS
(Top 3 Food Trucks in Key West)Co-Founder & Business Partner Amanda Anderson divests from the food truck business to pursue her next chapter; and Co-Founder + Owner Chef Clive takes over operations. Amanda continues to volunteer to support One Love Food Truck for special events, and in social media & marketing aspects.
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One Love Food Truck is a favorite spot for locals and tourists alike. Guests love the inviting atmosphere and unique and creative flavors the One Love Food Truck team produces.
Chef Clive continues to book and execute personal chef events, expand off-site catering events in Key West, Up the Keys and in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
One Love would like to thank Kristyn LaMoia for logo and branding design, Susannah Wells for website design, and Jack McDonald for live painting and artistic contributions.