Parker Diakite
Travel Noire
Eat well. Be well.
These words are the foundation of Robyn and Zak Wallace’s food truck Local Green Orlando. Located in Disney Springs, it’s the first Black-owned food truck at Walt Disney World.
The owners opened the first Local Green restaurant in Atlanta in 2019. Zak says this time was a healing journey for the couple after losing important people to them.
“I lost my brother, and my wife lost her mother to cancer,” he tells Travel Noire.
Witnessing loved-ones battle cancer turned on lightbulbs for the couple and changed the way they thought about food.
“When you’re sick with illnesses such as cancer or high blood pressure, doctors will tell you not to eat fried foods, eat lean meat and vegetables, and no pork or beef,” says Zak. “If you can’t eat this while you’re sick, these things shouldn’t be eaten if you’re feeling good.”
Robyn and Zak created Local Green as a tribute to their loved ones and a call to action, especially for people of color.
“We wanted to bring something to our community without sacrificing the taste,” says Zak. “We know our culture tends to like soul food, barbecue, fried food … but it’s affecting our health. Of the illnesses plaguing our community, the top three killers are hypertension, cancer, and diabetes.”
Robyn and Zak say these illnesses are not confined to Atlanta or Black people, which is why they said yes to Disney’s call about occupying the space in Disney Springs.
The menu is majority plant-based and also serves as a love letter to Zak’s accomplishments as a songwriter. Dish names honor some of the South’s musical talent. You can order the Oh Boy Beyond Burger, the Bubba Sparxx Pulled BBQ sandwich, the Rappers Delight Salmon Philly, and more.
“When eating here, we hope people realize that you can control your life by what you eat and removing the negative things,” Zak adds. “Put yourself first on your to-do list and think about the people most impacted by your daily dietary choices.”
