CHEYENNE – Getting food from a food truck is a unique experience that has become a growing segment of the Wyoming dining scene. That’s probably why Wyoming has boomed with new and varied food trucks in recent years.
The overall appeal of food trucks to customers continues to increase, as does the desire for people who love food and want to be their own bosses while building their own trucks.
Food trucks have become a common sight in Wyoming, popping up at festivals, fairs, beer gardens, and even on random corners.
Around lunchtime on Friday, food truck connoisseurs flocked to the fourth annual Downtown Cheyenne Food Truck Rally, billed as the unofficial kickoff to summer in the capital city.
Food truck dining offers a different experience than a sit-down or fast food restaurant. The quality has risen to be as good or better than casual restaurant food, but is typically served at a much faster pace.
Food trucks also encourage diners to enjoy a meal outdoors.
“I like that they are outdoors and you can sit outside while you eat,” Stephanie Russell said. “Sometimes in a restaurant you feel closed off.”
She and her husband Kyle Russell usually go to one or two food trucks a month, and count the world-famous Weitzel’s Wings (aka Double Dubs) and Moshi Moshi Hibachi Express as their favorites.
Face to face
For painters Kyle Small and Joe Krause, it’s a chance to support a local business. Food trucks tend to have fewer staff involved than a restaurant, which can lead to more repeat interactions between food truck workers and customers, and a better connection overall. They also tend to be quite narrow, so people can usually see the food being prepared from start to finish.
“Everyone you deal with is face to face, it’s just more comfortable watching them prepare food in front of you,” Small said. “It is more pleasant”.
Small and Krause were painting a car wash around the block from the Food Truck Rally when they saw their favorite truck, WyoPhilly, was there. Without hesitation, they lined up for Philly cheesesteaks and sticky fries.
“Overall, it’s a better dining experience,” Krause said.
Dedicated tracking
Burns resident Bryan Aaron is the owner of Brodelle’s BBQ. He believes local connection is the biggest fuel driving the food truck craze.
“People support them and support them,” he said.
Aaron has worked in the food industry for over 30 years, but decided to start his own food truck three years ago when he purchased a large custom-built trailer that included housing. Since then, he added a smoker to the back of the trailer, where he cooks fresh meat from it.
Another factor is the freshness of the food. Although food from food trucks tends not to be particularly healthy, it is usually prepared fresh to order, which clearly differentiates these companies from fast food establishments.
“Every time it comes out it feels so fresh,” Cheyenne resident Tim Bolin said while ordering a green chile burger at Jessie’s Mexican Cuisine.
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Something different
Food trucks also often gather in groups at public events, allowing the public to try a variety of different cuisines to prepare customized meals. Maybe a few hot wings, some smoked brisket or a taco, washed down with a homemade lemonade.
Wyoming was a little late to the national food truck scene, but it’s quickly catching up. Weitzel’s Wings and Laramie-based On The Hook Fish and Chips were early leaders in Wyoming’s burgeoning food truck scene and now have several trucks throughout the state and region.
Some food trucks offer food that is more commonly seen in different cultures or other parts of the country.
Cheyenne-based truck Noam’s Table offers a Mediterranean-inspired menu with items you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else nearby, like falafel and Israeli salads.
personal connection
If there’s one thing food trucks typically represent, it’s entrepreneurship and ingenuity, as they’re typically run by neighbors and locals, not a faceless corporation 1,000 miles away.
Due to Wyoming’s harsh winters, food truck opportunities decline in the winter, making it a side job or seasonal activity for many.
Aaron attends as many festivals, fairs and weddings as he can during the summer months and is usually sold out wherever he goes. When autumn comes, he says that he is sick of eating his own food.
Owning a food truck also requires a significant investment and dedication to be successful. One recent night, Noam’s Table owner Noam Mantaka was working on his truck until 4 a.m. before turning around at 8 a.m. to go to an event.
Mantaka said it was never his dream to start a food truck business, it simply came from a desire to share his food with the world.
He first began selling homemade hummus to his classmates in college, which then transitioned to selling his food at local farmers markets. From there, he purchased a deep fryer and, upon seeing a spectacular deal for a food truck being sold in Colorado, he knew he had to take a leap of faith.
“I go with what each day brings me with good hope,” he stated.
Since then four years ago, his business has grown by leaps and bounds. This year, he expanded his menu to include items like hot dogs and wild salmon, and also added touch-screen digital kiosks to the outside of his truck.
“I did it because it was my passion, I did it because it was something I like to do,” Mantaka said. “I’m not in this to make money.”
You can contact Leo Wolfson at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
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