The weather is warm, the sun is out, and while the kids look for the ice cream truck, you should be searching for mobile treats, too. Luckily, Grove City and central Ohio have plenty of options, and some are even owned by residents.
Posh Nosh
Doug Yors is a self-proclaimed Grove City lifer. His roots in the community are so deep that when he married his wife, she knew moving wasn’t an option. When Yors launched his Posh Nosh food trailer at an event in Fryer Park a few years back, the hungry Grove City bellies welcomed him happily.
The trailer wasn’t his first foray into the culinary world. For almost eight years, Yors has owned and operated the restaurant and catering business Posh Nosh Luncheonette, located in the Columbus Utilities Department in Grandview Heights. But since it’s open Monday through Friday, the trailer allows him to interact with the customers on busy weekends.
“My inspiration was Sophie’s (Gourmet) Pierogi,” Yors says about the Columbus-based truck. “I was at a food truck show and Sophie’s was there … making really amazing food off this trailer, and I was like, ‘I want to do that.’”
Posh Nosh attends most Grove City festivals and Yors has tons of memories to prove it. One year, at the Heart of Grove City Wine Festival, a customer was enjoying the wine while dancing near the food trailer. The wine, dancing and amazing scents must have gotten the better of him, because the patron bought three pimento grilled cheese sandwiches throughout the day.
“I look forward to seeing him every year,” Yors says.
The Posh Nosh restaurant menu consists of rotating salads, sandwiches, homemade pizzas with original sauce and more. The trailer switches things up, too, depending on the crowd; once, during a recent Ohio State University tailgate, Posh Nosh served brunch.
“Variety is good,” Yors says, “and I get bored cooking the same thing over and over again.”
The Wine & Arts Festival is set for June 19-20, but is subject to change, and Posh Nosh is set to attend. Yors plans to launch an original, smoky hot sauce, which may be available during the event.
Pitabilities
Jim Pashovich has always been ahead of the curve. While attending OSU in the 1980s, he started the first ever gyro cart in Columbus. The concept took off, and by 2005, the same year he sold the company, it was operating eight carts.
Pashovich took a break from the food industry, but his craving for the fast-paced career didn’t dwindle. In 2010, Pashovich and friend Joe Lamothe built a food truck from scratch. By 2011, Pitabilities was cruising through Columbus.
“There were maybe three or four trucks (in Columbus),” Pashovich says. “There were a lot of challenges because nobody knew what a food truck was. They’d call it the ‘roach coach,’ which definitely wasn’t the case.”
Rather than roaches, the truck serves various pitas such as Philly steak, BLT and Pashovich’s favorite, the chicken shawarma. Today, Pashovich and his team have four trucks, offer catering, are looking to franchise and recently settled into a 9,000-square-foot office dubbed Pita HQ.
Since Pashovich lives in Grove City, he likes bringing Pitabilities to local events and festivals. The truck is currently set for the following dates but this schedule is subject to change due to health concerns:
- July 4 | Independence Day Celebration
- July 24 | Grove City Homecoming Celebration
- Aug. 6 | Grove City Church of Nazarene Vacation Bible School
- Aug. 8 | Grove City EcoFest
Pashovich has lived in Grove City for 12 years. He laughs, saying how the recent city growth means more traffic.
“Back then it was kind of a hidden jewel. Now, we have a little bit too much traffic in Grove City,” he says, laughing. “But still, the growth and amenities and city services, it’s a nice package.”
EdArm LLC Food Truck Solutions
Sweet Tooth Trucks | Chicky Chicky Waffle | The Wicked Lobstah
From sweet ice cream to sweet lobster, locally based EdArm LLC Food Truck Solutions has created an empire.
It all began in 2015 when two chefs, Tyler Armentrout and Brian “Tater” Edwards, started exploring the growing food truck scene. They landed on the idea of Sweet Tooth Twisted Ice Cream, a soft serve ice cream truck with unique flavors. Tyler built the truck and it rolled out in 2016.
EdArm is unique in that it doesn’t stick with one cuisine. Shortly after launching Twisted Ice Cream, it started Sweet Tooth Scooped Ice Cream, which features a mix of local hand-scooped brands. The company also owns Chicky Chicky Waffle, famous for its waffle-battered chicken recipe, and The Wicked Lobstah, which is painted in colorful graffiti by three local artists.
“If you can find me a more unique truck in the Columbus market, I’d be surprised,” says Glynis Armentrout, event coordinator for EdArm and Tyler’s wife, about The Wicked Lobstah paint job.
The growing company currently has five trucks with three on the way, some of which will feature new themes and food – to be determined.
From its current selection, Glynis recommends the Alaskan roll from the Wicked Lobstah, a traditional roll topped with smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill. And when she isn't scheduling or handling its social media, Glynis happily works on the truck.
“I know that what’s coming out of the window – whether it’s ice cream, lobster or chicken – is the best quality they’re going to get,” she says. “To me, it’s not just a transaction, it’s an experience. Seeing people walk away happy, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
EdArm trucks are stationed in Grove City a few times a year, but the business is still working with city officials to integrate its trucks more throughout the community.
“We’re going to try to revisit this (collaboration) this season because it’s a great community and we live here for a reason,” Glynis says.
Catch EdArms trucks at Columbus Crew SC games.
Lydia Freudenberg is an editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
