“Helping others is what it’s all about,” said restaurateur, retailer, and U.S. Army veteran Josh Woods, co-owner of Chickasha’s Interurban restaurant, Urb Express food trucks and Two Vets Clothing Company-a patriotic clothing and accessories outlet.
Awarded “Best Boss” byThe Chickasha Express-Star’s Readers’ Choice survey, Woods, and his business partner Zachary Grayson, have utilized networking skills and opened their businesses to help strengthen the community.
Woods and Grayson each served 12 years in the Army’s Military Police, both earning the rank of Staff Sergeant before being honorably discharged and opening their own businesses. The team has hosted countless fundraising events to rally support for area schools and youth programs.
“We mainly focus on what is most important to the community: the schools,” said Woods.
Since opening the Chickasha location in 2014, Interurban has held Burger Days to benefit schools and organizations around the area. One dollar from each burger purchased on Burger Days goes to help community fundraisers. Woods stated that it isn’t too unusual for Burger Day proceeds to exceed $500.
Interurban also caters and lends its support to Grady County DAV #17, Relay for Life for Grady and Caddo Counties, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma’s fundraisers as well as Chickasha’s Festival of Light as well. The restaurant has also been commended for generously supporting the Denton Reace Walker memorial scholarship. Walker, an 18-year-old graduate of Chickasha High School, died in an accident in Cyril, Okla., during the summer of 2015.
Interurban's modest fleet of food trucks, the Urb Express, received honors at the OklahomaState Fair several years running, prompting the duo to establish the OklahomaFood Truck Championship. The mobile gourmet foods competition coincides with Chickasha’s annual Rock Island Arts Festival and the Rock Island Ride cycling event in early October. Bringing vendors and visitors from across the state to dine, shop and stay in Chickasha, now in its third year, the Food Truck Championship was named 2019 Event of the Year by the Chickasha Chamber of Commerce.
Currently, in light of restaurants being forced to shut their doors to dine-in customers and only offer curbside and delivery services to help prevent the spreading of COVID-19 coronavirus, Woods not only promotes his own restaurant but others around the community. Visiting competing restaurants and giving rave reviews on social media platforms encourages others to utilize curbside and delivery options which helps the restaurants endure this time of uncertainty said Woods. “They’re just as much a part of this community as anybody. So, each day we make it a point to go out and support all our local restaurants.”
Woods grew up in Wetumka, Okla., before joining the 366th Military Police Company and attending Seminole State College. While at Seminole State, he met his future wife, Tyla. He then transferred to Oklahoma City Community College and waited tables at Don Pablo’s Mexican Kitchen, located at I-240 and Penn. In 2006, he began his career with Interurban in Yukon, Okla.
He served as a subject matter expert attached to the 3rd Armed Cavalry Regiment in Mosul, Iraq, in 2008-2009. He returned to Oklahoma and was welcomed back to his Interurban family. When Grayson returned from Iraq, the two began their business partnership.
Aside from overseeing and being hands-on in the businesses, Woods currently chairs on the board of directors for Arvest Bank of Southwest Oklahoma.
A devoted father and husband, Woods spends as much time as he can to his family. He and his wife Tyla, a Registered Nurse who works at both Grady Memorial Hospital in Chickasha and Duncan Regional Hospital, have three children. She has been by his side through his military career, is an avid supporter of his business ventures and the proud mother to their children, said Woods.
“Kiefer will be 12; Kinley is 6, and Kysen is 21 months,” he smiled proudly.
While he waits patiently to see what piques Kyson’s interests, he enjoys watching Kinley play basketball and softball. Woods has also coached Kiefer’s OK Kids baseball team for the past three years. “Tyla and I do everything we can to stay involved with their lives.”