NORTH PORT, Fla. — A beloved local food truck business is working to rebuild after losing nearly everything in a crash early last week.

Allen McLeod and Laneatha Daily, owners of Allens BBQ and Seafood, say they were traveling on U.S. 17 in DeSoto County around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, en route to Wauchula in Hardee County, when disaster struck.

“[I] had a blowout on my truck, lost control, [the] trailer flipped over, jackknifed the trailer — just a terrible situation,” McLeod said.

The couple says their food trailer was completely crushed in the crash, destroying all of their supplies and equipment.

“With everything we lost, I would say maybe $40,000 in damages,” McLeod said

The two have since launched a GoFundMe campaign after encouragement from community members.

“Many of them were like, ‘Hey, what’s taking you guys so long? Where’s the link? How can we help? We need you guys back on the corner,’” Daily said. “Not only is this your source of income, but we need that food in our communities.”

McLeod and Daily explained the business began with what they describe as a calling.

“I would say God gave us a vision to start selling food on the side of the road,” McLeod said.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple began operating their food truck in North Port, Punta Gorda, Arcadia, and Wauchula.

Their customer base quickly grew as restaurants and stores were closed and people turned to them for meals.

“We were hired by Walmart distribution centers, local Walmart Supercenters, Lowe’s — even dialysis centers,” Daily explained. “So, during that time, that’s when the business skyrocketed because the stores were closed, the restaurants were closed, everything was closed.”

Among their most popular dishes: smoked brisket and shrimp linguine.

Despite the crash, the couple hasn’t stopped working as they have continued selling food using a rented U-Haul truck.

Daily added the community has been a great assistance in the rebuilding process.

“Our community loves us, when I say they love us, they love us and they have shown it,” Daily said. “We have been offered three different food trailers to get back out there and work and then another friend, offered us to use his work truck to pull the trailers.”

With this assistance, Daily said she and McLeod will be able to go out and serve food once again.

“We got kids at home. We can’t stop,” McLeod said. “So either way it goes, we’ve got to figure it out. Keep going.”

At last check, the couple has raised more than $4,300 toward their recovery efforts and say they’re grateful to not only be alive but to those who have stepped in to help.

To visit the couple’s GoFundMe campaign, click here.