Sometimes your day is made because you played pickleball and dove into a glass of wine and some pretzel bites at Frazier Five & Dime followed by a plate of salty edamame and a fat sushi roll at Totto. And sometimes your day is made because you got a head’s up that there were five food trucks set up on 11thStreet, and it was your job to check them out in advance of the Battle of the Food Trucks this weekend at Camp Jordan.
But then sometimes ALL your days are made because you own or run a “nonstaurant”—that’s the term for a nontraditional restaurant (like a food truck) that operates in a nontraditional location (like a street corner, parking lot, or park). After talking to several food truck operators about why they do what they do, I am convinced it might just be the greatest job in the world. To a person, each said that the personal connection with customers, the ability to set their own schedule, and the rewards of entrepreneurship are the crème de la crème.
For Soul-Que owner Lee Ratliff, who opened his family-operated barbeque and event catering business in 2020, it’s “the satisfaction of knowing that I’ve built a successful business from scratch for my family and me” that makes him especially happy. That and “…seeing the smile on people’s faces when they taste my food.” Because he puts his heart and soul into everything he makes, he said, the name Soul-Que seemed only fitting.
For pastry chef Joseph Gonzalez and his wife Sydney, everything about Broken Heart Cheesecakes, from the tagline, “Fighting depression one slice at a time,” to the names of their cheesecake slices (In Loving Memory, The Last Straw, Two Timer) is a tip of the hat to the personal emotional challenges they’ve overcome. Newly married, the pair have owned the truck for almost a year and-a-half, and so far, things couldn’t be better.
“I love the flexibility in our work hours,” said Joseph Gonzalez. “Owning a food truck allows us to be home more with family, and also, just to be there at the point of sale, to see the customer’s reaction to your product…it’s very rewarding.” As a part of their mission, the couple tries to raise awareness about mental health, and they donate a portion of their proceeds to mental health causes. I personally can attest to the fact that the red velvet cheesecake milkshake with whipped cream really was an antidepressant, and it didn’t take two weeks to start working.
At the Grindhead Coffee Company truck, where everything on offer is pirate-themed and the coffee beans are sourced from the Caribbean, Jara White and Treva Hoover were happily manning the ship. Asked what the best part of running a food truck is, White said working with community, having flexibility, and the regular change of scenery, as they are constantly taking their truck to different locales around town. They even have a “real” pirate on staff who will be roaming the premises at Battle of the Food Trucks at Camp Jordan this weekend, no doubt winking behind her eye patch and looking for lost treasure.
Under a pop-up tent fully equipped with a hot dog griller, a big basket of assorted chips, and a cooler of ice-cold drinks, I found The Dogfather owner Dave Owen and sister Becky Hunt making customers “A dog you can’t refuse.” Owen, who retired from Federal Express after twelve years, opened his hot dog truck three years ago and never looked back.
“I love setting my own schedule,” he said. “Everything we do is pre-booked. We never have to find a street corner and set up.” If that’s not a dog’s life, I don’t know what is.
Adrian De la Torre is the owner of El Taco Boss, where the pulled chicken street tacos are so fat and juicy, they arrive already busting out of their double corn tortilla nests. De la Torre transitioned from the restaurant business to the food truck business, he said, because it was more profitable, allowed for more independence, and required less overhead.
“It’s more common to see food trucks on the street now,” he said, and while they are mostly at events, he’d like to see the day when there are food trucks on every street corner. He’ll be at the food truck challenge this weekend, and even though attendees will vote for their favorite trucks, and even though there is prize money at stake, and even though his truck boasts the tagline, “The best pinches (damn) tacos in town,” he doesn’t see it as a competition.
“There’s enough room for everyone to do well,” he said.
The Battle of the Food trucks, where you’ll see a selection of the best “nonstaurants” Chattanooga has to offer, is a must-eat event this weekend. But don’t just take it from me. Go see for your own pinches self.
WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU GO
Battle of the Food Trucks Festival
Saturday, August 31, 11am-7pm and Sunday, September 1 11:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
Location:
Camp Jordan Arena & Arena Parking Lot – 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy. East Ridge, TN
Description:
Vote on the BEST food truck in attendance, shop over 175 vendors, food trucks, inflatables, petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, trackless train rides, entertainment on stage!
Information:
- OUTDOOR EVENT RAIN OR SHINE
- Free Parking, admission $5. Kids 10 and under FREE!
- HOW DOES THE FOOD TRUCK BATTLE WORK – Each attendee pays $5 per ballot. One Ballot = One Vote! Each participating food vendor will have a ballot box for their customers who would like to vote for them. Want to vote more? Purchase another ticket! At 5:00 pm on Sunday ballots will be hand counted and the winner will be announced. 1st place – $3,000 2nd place – $1,500 3rd place – $750.