Patrons of street cuisine might be pleased to know that some central Ohio food trucks are opting out of hibernation this winter.
“You can’t build a loyal following if you’re not a kind of risk-taker, I guess,” says Craig Langworthy, owner of Red Hot Food Truck.
Red Hot, which has been in business for about a year and a half, offers Tex-Mex staples such as quesadillas and grilled chicken, grilled steak and veggie tacos.
Despite last year’s mild winter, Red Hot’s business dropped 30 to 40 percent during the colder months. This year, Langworthy is aiming for convenience, offering car-side delivery to customers.
“It’s important to keep your name out there,” he says.
The Red Hot menu changes weekly during the warmer season, and that same principle will carry over to the winter. Langworthy has a few warmer items planned for the chilly consumer: He has already added chicken tortilla soup to the menu, and he’s considering a black bean soup. Customers could expect to see a soup-taco combo on the menu.
The skyrocketing popularity of food trucks in Columbus will drive a number of other operators to brave the winter for the first time this year.
And like Langworthy, they’re making additions to their menu to please those brave souls willing to stand outside in the cold while their food is prepared.
Steve Carmean, owner of Mediterranean-Italian outfit Blu Olive, had always planned to stay open year-round, barring snow or ice storms. To keep his customers warm, he’s adding heartier items such as lasagna to the menu.
Soups including potato-leek will join Blu Olive’s offerings. Meatball sandwiches will stay on the menu, as will beet ravioli, a dish featuring ravioli filled with pureed beets and ricotta cheese and topped with butter, poppy seed and Pecorino cheese, which is similar to Parmesan.
“People really, really love it,” Carmean says.
Beyond heat-heavy menu items, one option for a non-frigid food truck experience is Dinin’ Hall. Franklinton-based Dinin’ Hall, which opened in May, hosts a rotating slate of food trucks in a covered space that offers shelter from the weather.
The establishment will remain in operation during its first winter. Owner Eliza Ho expects business to slow down with the advent of colder weather, but emphasizes that customers have options that might decrease the time spent out in the cold. For example, Dinin’ Hall’s online pre-order system enables customers to send in their orders for pick-up.
“We try to be creative to make street food available and possible in the winter,” Ho says.
Swoop! Food Truck sets up shop at Dinin’ Hall six to eight times a month. General manager Lyle Bigelow and owner Matt Heaggans plan to continue that trend into the winter.
“We like what they provide,” Bigelow says.
Swoop! has been in operation since June, offering an array of sliders such as their burger and jerk-fried chicken sliders. The popular braised short rib with horseradish sauce will remain on the menu through the winter, and soup specials are also likely.
For Bigelow, one of the biggest challenges of winter operation is not having a playbook to which he can refer. Only a few vendors in Columbus have decided to stay out during winter in the past, he says.
Still, he says business will be “all about developing strategy.” For instance, Swoop! will continue to offer text message and email ordering, which have proved popular among the truck’s fans.
Laura Lee has been cooking up traditional Korean street food as chef and owner of food truck Ajumama since the end of April. She plans add hot drinks such as barley tea, Chinese dates and honey tea, and Yudo tea – similar to a grapefruit in flavor – to her menu as temperatures get colder.
Lee’s winter menu will also feature soups made with kimchi – fermented cabbage similar to sauerkraut with garlic, red pepper and onions.
Also on the menu will be ddukbokki, a chewy rice cake cooked into a slightly spicy broth with carrots, legumes and cabbage. Ajumama’s mushroom rice porridge – which features soft-cooked rice similar in texture to risotto – will also remain on the menu through the winter.
“It’s very warm; it’s very filling,” Lee says.
Though she hopes for a mild winter, Lee plans to make her menu more specialty-driven – a decision that will help her take advantage of produce availability and allow her to see how business fares in the colder months.
As long as the roads are dry and the weather is good, “then we’re going to go as long as we can,” Lee says.
Sarah Sole is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
