Author: Spark Market Solutions

Hi Peter, can you tell us all about your food truck, what makes you special?

We are Dump-N-Roll. We specialize in creative dumpling and spring rolls. Taking inspiration from all cultures, utilizing the world spice rack and letting people experience something unique, familiar and different. Imagine the food you love in bite-size bites. That’s our concept. We are current the only food truck delivering our concept on wheels.

Why did you decide to open a food truck?

In 2003, I was inspired to be one of the best chefs in the world. That fire from within simply burnt out 6 years later. Dedicating so much and feeling as though I had nothing, but some knife skills. I left the culinary side in search of something better. I landed a job as a server for a several years.  A seed was planted and it helped build my confidence in handling the nature of human behaviors more professionally.

Then in 2011, I was hired at Jefferson Hospital with the best job I ever held as a Cook and Supply Chain Technician. Unfortunately 3 years later, I was unhappy with being content and the path I foresaw. In mid-2012, during the darkest hours of my life, when all is well and everything felt wrong in my own head. I received my calling to utilize the gift I was given at birth. A gift I’d been honing all this time and after all these years; I’m ready to fully utilize its potential.  Being a “Giver” is my gift. The “giver” role is to give from the heart and expect nothing in return. In return the universe will supply all that is needed. My core mission is to give back to the community, to the world. Mainly the generations of tomorrow. Instilling into them that no matter what circumstances we face. That impossible is actually spelled I’M POSSIBLE!

At that time, the seed that was sowed within me many years ago as a chef reignited more ferocious than ever. Not knowing where to start, I somehow knew I wanted to open a food truck. My original idea was T-N-T “A lil bit of THIS-N-THAT”. On Thanksgiving 2012, during a drunken conversation amongst family, my original idea was blown to piece when my cousin suggested “Dump-N-Roll; dumplings and spring rolls”. At that moment the brightest lightbulb illuminated and I knew nothing will stop me from achieving this goal. After investing over 18 months and 1100 hours, I completed my business plan and saved over $10,000.

I bought my truck with the money I saved and took the business plan to a small business committee called The Enterprise Center. Applying for a loan to get the truck fabricated; The Enterprise Center bought my dream and business plan and funded me a $35,000 loan with no prior history in business. Dump-N-Roll finally debuted to the public with a pop-up event on March 14, 2015. Now, currently 10 months in the making, “we are humbled to be doing better than we can ever imagine”.

What’s your most popular menu item?

Our Far West Wonton is our most popular menu item. It’s life changing to be honest. Just imagine a chipotle turkey bacon cheeseburger in a tempura dipped wonton paired with a smoky honey bourbon bbq sauce. How about the best mac and cheese you ever had, plus a generous portion of crab and roll them into egg rolls?

Tell us about a favorite or memorable event you’ve participated in

It’s amazing how two completely different individuals; with a balanced chemistry and same visionary goals can overcome so many adversities by working in sync alongside one another. Five months into our food truck venture in September 2015 is my most memorable event. Our biggest challenge was to churn out food in a timely manner with lines a half a block long and 2 guys. A seemingly small 3hr event took both my chef and I by surprise. At the end of the day, there was no major mishap nor complaint. I would never imagined, two people can possibly produce that much product in that amount of time, but we did!!! Working so well together, like a well-oiled machine.

 What’s the best part about having a food truck?

It may be cliché. Engaging with some many diverse individuals and the freedom to produce products that can brighten people days with a just a bite is the best part about having a food truck. Investing my energy into a craft that I truly love doing, just to witness a perfect stranger reaction never gets old and to set no limits on what is possible.

Do you do weddings and/or catering?

We service all parties big and small

Where can we find you on the street or do you have restaurant?

You can find us at malls and outlets throughout PA and NJ. It’s always best to follow us and peek at our calendar on our site to get up to date info.

Thank you Peter.

Stay connected with Dump-N-Roll

Facebook: DumpNRoll

Twitter: DumpNRoll215

Instagram: DumpNRoll

www.dumpnroll.com

#dumpnroll #thebestndimsum

Wink, tell us all about your food truck, what makes you special?

It stems from our signature sandwich, which is the Spudwich. We take an oversized potato and we bake it. We cut it lengthwise and then we scoop out the insides. We deep fry it and then we add one of our special stuffings. We reassemble it and you eat it like a sandwich, where the potato shells act as the bread.

From that, we constantly experiment with all manner of the potato, from simple fries, to a fried potato wrapped in bacon on a stick, to a completely over the top mashed potato bar with toppings that range from the classic, such as broccoli and bacon, to the exotic like a lobster and filet mignon

Why did you decide to open a food truck?

We used to own a bakery in Philadelphia and, quite frankly, we missed it. What we missed most was the great reactions we got from people eating our food. We looked at playing with potatoes, after playing mad scientist for a few weekends, came up with some really tasty items and we thought, “Hey, maybe this could work on a food truck.” Once the wheels were in motion we could think of little else.

What’s your most popular menu item?

Without a doubt, our most popular item is the Bacon Cheeseburger Spudwich. We take the classic American flavor profile of burgers and fries and stand it on its head.

Tell us about a favorite or memorable event you’ve participated in?

It’s so hard to pick a favorite as all the events are fun and memorable. One that stands out because it is how we usually start our season is the Food Truck Festival in Great Adventure. It’s a great event. All the vendors pull out all the stops, and everyone flexes their culinary muscles, and you’re serving against the backdrop these great roller coasters and rides.

What’s the best part about having a food truck?

The best part is to see the reactions of those eating our food. To see the smiles of our customer is what makes it all worth it. That’s really the payoff for us. We love our customers. They are the most awesome customers on the planet.

Do you do weddings and/or catering?

We do cater events and weddings. For those that want a memorable food experience, that shows a bit of edge and is still budget friendly, we can be your right answer.

Where can we find you on the street or do you have restaurant?

We’re talking about a having a brick and mortar establishment, but right now it is in the VERY early stages

Thank you Wink.

Stay connected with 1 Potato Two

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/1-Potato-two-342686792508554/

Twitter:  @1potatotwo

www.1potatotwo.com

#1potatotwo

Scott tell us all about your food truck, what makes you special?

The Pompier Food Truck specializes in chef driven cuisine. We are constantly striving to improve our product and create awesome dishes. Whether it’s something as simple as a hamburger, a chef driven hamburger will only use the best ingredients artfully combined utilizing classic techniques and lots of love.

 

Why did you decide to open a food truck?

The food truck came into play as an expansion of the catering division. We had quite a few requests for off premise catering and to facilitate that catering I began searching for a food truck. Now our food truck is busy all season participating in many different events.

 

What’s your most popular menu item?

By far our most popular menu item is Pompier’s Pierogi Flats, offering our signature Pierogi with Hungarian Pulled Pork, Russian Braised Beef, Slab Bacon, and Potato Cheese, plus all the awesome toppings!

 

Tell us about a favorite or memorable event you’ve participated in?

In March 2015 we were booked to do a street event in Rahway NJ. The day before the event we had a snow storm that buried our food truck. At 8:00 am the next morning the sun came out, and we climbed on the roof of the truck and dug it out of the snow. We made it up there to Rahway and BAM the people came out. It was a great way to start the season!

 

What’s the best part about having a food truck?

Freedom of food expression!

 

Do you do weddings and/or catering?

Yes, we sure do and have for many years with great success. Pompier has a brand new food truck that will be devoted to long halls, weddings, and specialty events.

 

Where can we find you on the street or do you have restaurant?

New street location to be announced for the 2016 season. Follow us on Facebook to find out what events we will part of.

Thank you Scott.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pompier-Food-Truck

Twitter: @chefbelgard

Pompiercatering.com

Ed tell us all about your food truck, what makes you special?

The concept of Fed by Ed, beyond the silly rhyming of the name itself, was new twists on familiar flavors. It wasn’t enough to make good food, it was about making good food that was interesting as well, the kind of thing that would not only draw curious eaters in, but get them excited about trying something that’s recognizable and being presented in a whole new light. Distilled, we make sandwiches and chips. It’s simple enough, but it tells only part of the story. We pride ourselves on fresh ingredients and making as much as we can from scratch. From our bleu cheese dressing to our 14-hour slow roasted pulled pork to slicing potatoes the day of an event and cooking as much as we can to order, we pride ourselves on making sure the food we sell is of the highest quality. If it’s something we’re going to demand when we dine out, we make sure it’s something we’re willing to do as well.

 

Why did you decide to open a food truck?

The decision to open a mobile food business came following a long time away from commercial kitchens and nearly a decade in another professional field. The fond memories of working in a kitchen as a teenager never left me, and even though I was no longer making money selling food, I spent a large portion of my free time in my own kitchen, cooking and learning as much as I could, making the best tasting and most interesting food possible. When I decided on a career change, I thought my eventual goal – after getting back into commercial kitchens and relearning the ropes – would be opening my own restaurant. However, the freedom of mobile dining just wound up offering the most flexibility and opportunity, both in terms of selling food and menu creativity.

 

What’s your most popular menu item?

The popularity of a menu item largely depends on the event. There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to what sells the most during a given event and we’re sometimes puzzled as to how extreme the variance between popular and unpopular is for a specific item from one day to the next. There is, though, one sandwich I’ll always recommend to curious diners if it’s on the menu that day. The BBQ-glazed meatloaf. I’ve always been an avid fan of meatloaf at home both as a child and an adult, particularly of leftover meatloaf because of the opportunity to turn it into a sandwich. Like all Fed by Ed sandwich creations, we wanted to take something people knew and give it a little twist. The meatloaf sandwich was actually the first item conceived and tested on our menu. The combination of spicy molasses BBQ sauce, hearty meatloaf, jalapeno jelly and apple cider vinegar coleslaw – all of which is homemade – seems to hit all the right marks. It’s sweet, spicy, savory, creamy, crunchy and has just the right amount of acid to balance it all out. It may not always be the best seller, but when customers buy it they’ll regularly come back to us just to tell us how much they enjoyed it – and often times to buy another!

 

Tell us about a favorite or memorable event you’ve participated in?

All the events we’ve been to have been memorable for one reason or another, but, like they say, you always remember your first. It was a small Saturday event in May at a flea market in Manahawkin – the first event of ours that invited the public to come try us out. It was a busy day and there was plenty of positive feedback. What made it so exciting was that, more than anything, it was proof of concept. This brightly colored trailer with the giant food mural was finally out there selling food and visitors were willing to try it. We left the event that day feeling good about our food and about our chances at making a go at this thing. We also lost a tire on our way back home on the Garden State Parkway and spent an hour on the side of the road as traffic whizzed by. Not the best finish to the day, but a helpful reminder of the challenges that every risk carries.

 

What’s the best part about having a food truck?

Despite the seemingly endless non-food related aspects of the business, including the paperwork, the permits, the inspections, and the forms associated with mobile food business in New Jersey, a food truck truly does represent freedom. There are plenty of brick and mortar restaurants that sell great food but never have a chance because of their location and fixed menus. In a food truck you’re able to circumvent the biggest hurdle in the food industry and bring your eats directly to the people. There’s also creative freedom. The ability to amend your menu, to drop items add new ones, to take food risks is extremely welcome. And those who become your fans and seek you out are often rewarded by being able to try new food every time they see you.

 

Do you do weddings and/or catering?

We love to do parties of all sorts, especially when it allows us to work with directly with customers to come up with creative options that suit their needs. While we specialize in gourmet sandwiches and chips, our ultimate goal is for you to get Fed by Ed. Sometimes that’s a bacon and onion cheeseburger and chips nightcap after a marathon wedding reception, sometimes it’s a sensible but immensely flavorful chicken satay and pickled vegetable wrap in the middle of the work day. It all works. We configured our business to be as flexible as possible and we’re never planning on running out of unique and clever food ideas to service any event.

 

Where can we find you on the street or do you have restaurant?

In our first year of operation we focused on special food events, hitting all corners of New Jersey along the way. In our second year we’re doing more of the same, loading up our weekend calendar with exciting food-related events all over. In the meantime, you can follow us on social media to see where we’re parked between those events during the week.

Thank you Ed.

Stay connected with Fed by Ed

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fed-By-Ed-1597539063851769/

Twitter: twitter.com/getfedbyed

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fed_by_ed/

#fedbyed