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Key Takeaways A Food Network victory launched Shemtob’s career, but a kitchen injury inspired his next big idea.
Drawing on his own years in hospitality, Shemtob built Snibbs to elevate workers who spend their days serving others.
After losing his home in the 2025 LA fires, Daniel Shemtob turned tragedy into action.
What’s harder? Running a restaurant or a shoe company?
Daniel Shemtob doesn’t even pause before answering. “They’re both so goddamn equally hard,” he says, laughing.
He would know. The chef-turned-founder has done both. In hospitality, he’s the force behind The Lime Truck, a Southern California favorite that became a national name. Before winning The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network, Shemtob had already built a loyal following with his fresh, fast and fearless approach to food. Then he took that same truck, drove it from Malibu to Miami and won the entire competition.
“Running a food truck teaches you everything about business,” Shemtob says. “Real estate, logistics, customer service, supply chain, you learn it all.” That education led to more than just TV fame. It fueled a restaurant career that includes Hatch, his acclaimed full-service concept.
Related: This AI Tool for Restaurant Owners Is Giving ‘Hours’ of Time Back
Somewhere between late-night service and early-morning prep, Shemtob found his next obsession: shoes. After a bad slip in the kitchen left him injured, he started questioning why every non-slip work shoe looked and felt terrible. “Nothing represented who we are,” he says. “Chefs, nurses, bartenders, they deserve something better.”
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