Munch Magazine

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Table of Contents 26 4 Table of Contents

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Keep On Truckin

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Sweet Success

5 Letters from the Editors 8

Mama Mia

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What Kind of Italian Food are You?

14 Let’s

Taco ‘bout It

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How well do you know your Tex-Mex from your Mexican

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A Slice of Advice

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Popular Pizza Places in Austin

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Local Food Trucking

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What dessert are You? Stores or Local?

Letters from the

EDITORS

Lena Clubi

itz ow

Featu ne I like philosophy and digging deep into fundamentals as well as re E H entertaining topics no one normally spends time thinking about. Even dit or or when I was little and I didn’t know a lot about the world, I would still question things in a deeper sense. For example, I have been fascinated by food not by eating it, but mainly by the idea that you can combine multiple ingredients and make a unique flavor. I used to sit in my kitchen mixing ingredients together and, no matter how disgusting the combination was, I was still excited by the concoction I had created. It also interested me that people in different locations combined different ingredients to make a new cuisine specific to their region. I was interested in our topic, local food in Austin, because I wanted to see what made the local Austin cuisine different from other cities in Texas and in the United States. I chose my topic, the difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants, because I was curious about the lineage of Tex-Mex verses Mexican restraunts and what made them different even though they were from close/similar regions. From my experence, I have learned a lot about the Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisines and what makes the Austin dining scene stand out from areas.

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ver eefacuk Editor K ily ct Che Fa

I am a ninth grader attending LASA high school and my hobbies include: walking my dog, watching TV, and riding my bike downtown.

I also enjoy swimming in Barton Springs, and walking around the shops on South Congress. I have lived in Austin for 4 years now, and have come to love the many unique restaurants that are available. Writing about local food was interesting to me because I enjoy eating at the local Austin restaurants, and I thought it would be fun to learn more about the work that gets put into them. I wanted to write about how dessert businesses succeed, because there isn’t much coverage on restaurants that specialize in one specific type of food, especially dessert. When writing about food, it was really fun to interview business owners because I got to get an inside look on the how restaurants operate. It was also interesting being able to learn about the ingredients that go into local desserts and how restaurants set themselves apart. I learned that what customers see from a third person perspective, is only one of the many components that go into running a restaurant.

Additionally, I learned that in order to stand out against competition, it’ important to be creative when making decisions, and to persevere when things are challenging.

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I’ve always lived in Austin and currently I attend LASA High School. In my freetime, I love to bake, watch Netflix, and listen to music. I do love to bake, but cooking for me comes down to pizza and cereal. For this magazine, my article is on Local Austin restaurants that specialize in serving American food. I live by an American food restaurant that I chose to feature in my article. Giovannis has always been a favorite for me, and I was lucky to experience the restaurant’s story. When I was younger, Giovanni’s was just the pizza trailer in a parking lot that my friends and I would walk to, but the reputation and aspects of the restaurant helped expand it, making it a popular pizza destination. Writing this article, it was interesting to see how these different qualities found in restaurants could make or break a business. Coming into this project, I was amazed at the results from past years. It seemed crazy that their designs were so professional looking, and creative. I learned so much about design that I plan to use in future projects and opportunities. It was fun to experiment with different techniques and designs, and learn new things about the different softwares.

Mandalyn Cas

Velhaisccs oEdit e or ly rap

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My name is Leslye Velasco. I am 14 years old and a freshmen at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy high school in Austin, TX. My hobbies include swimming, drawing, and watching Netflix. I like to swim and draw because both make me feel calm and cheerful. I love to watch Netflix because it’s just a time i can relax and watch some of my favorite shows. My group’s magazine topic is about the local food in Austin such as American food, desserts, etc. This is an important topic because local food is that place, in my opinion, what drags the people there it’s the heart and soul of the town/city. The topic I wrote about was Italian food. I wrote about Italian food because I feel that it’s not recognized as much as other food. What I learned from this experience is that working with a group is fun.I didn’t like interviewing people as much because it just didn’t amuse me; maybe journalism isn’t my thing.

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A true cowboy, I was born in Dallas, Texas, but I migrated to the city of Austin, where I have lived for twelve years. In my spare time, I love to read books, watch Netflix, and listen to music. Another passion of mine is food. Literally, all food. Although I tried to cook at home, I am banned from my kitchen due to a particular mishap with a certain smoke alarm (it was rigged). But my love for food is undying and nothing can get between that. So I take to writing to express my fondness of all cuisines. My magazine is all about the local food in Austin: where to get it, what types of food, and how it has changed! At first, our team didn’t know each other very well, but as the weeks went by we have gotten to know each other and become friends. This companionship has made it so much easier to work as a team and help each other with the structuring of our magazine. And athough I am not the most technologically advanced, I have learned more and more, not only from the teacher but from peers as well.

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The Truth about Italian Food In this photo taverna’s canolies are showen. taken 2017

In this photo taverna’s nuttela tiramisu is showen . taken 2017

By Leslye Velasco Austin is known for having arugments because well different styles of food, like it is just food and if you Tex-Mex, Chinese, Thai, don’t like a certain dish, and many more. Most well it is not going to be Austinites do not focus on the end the world. the most common food, Italian. Itailian cuisine is so overlooked because This article will be facing people think of the italian what the atmosphere in cuisine as just simply pasta, Italian restaurants are pizza, and like. It will lasagana. But also be talking that is not about easy the case; it is and delicious “Austin is a place much more recipes for of traditions where complex than people of even the restaurants that. all ages, like

of Italian food are trying to conquer every day” Juan Callachan

In this photo there’s 2 scoops of ice cream of diffrent kind 2017

In this photo one of the many salads are showen taken 2017

What comes to most peoples minds when they hear the mention of Italian food their most likely answer is most likely pasta, pizza, or lasagna, even though.

Italian food is one of the most stereotyped foods along with Mexican Food.

There has been many debates about food. It is unknown why food would arouse such heated

overlooked.

a simple spaghetti recipe or something a little more complicated like a tiramisu. And why Italian restaurants can be

Lily Keefauver -“Pineapple pizza is good” It might not seem like it is important that she would like pineapple pizza, but believe it or not this is a highly debated issue.

As shown in the debates all over social media like

Instagram and Facebook, there have been numerous examples of these fuses.

For example Twitter says “it is stupid, but it is an argument”. The effect of the debate nothing much has happened except mini fuses in Instagram and Facebook. The debate of pineapple pizza shouldn’t be a debate; after all it is not the end of the world, right?

One problem Italian restaurants are facing is the lack of places there located in Austin. “Austin is a place of traditions where even the restaurants of Italian food are trying to conquer every day,” said Juan Callachan, executive chef in Taverna Italian restaurant. What he is trying to point out is that the minimal abundance of Italian restraunts in Austin is affecting the people in the Italian restaurant business. The amount of Italian restaurants in Austin is increasing but not fast enough Callachan adds on. “Running a restaurant is a lot of work.” “Juan Callaghan, executive chef at Taverna says that it is important to maintain a positive relationships with customers and create attractive menu options it’s also important to supervise inventory and order food, equipment and supplies; and ensure the maintenance and regular repair of the restaurant.”

As pointed out before the chef of an Italian restaurant serves their dishes in nice ways. This could also

contribute to running a neat and a successful business.

Italian food is the best at least that is what most of people here point out according to the sorces in Italian restaurants. A lot goes into making the delicious Italian recipes that are kown and eaten today. There’s many arguments about Italian cuisine, pineapple pizza if we In this photo one of the many salads are showen taken 2017 are being especially specific.

There are many stereotypes about italian food and yet the definition of Italian food hasn’t been resolved.

This is just onother ice cream dish taken 2017

Lily Keefauver said -“Pineapple pizza is

This is just onother ice cream dish taken2017

good”.

This is a shrimp dish that is served in Taverna 2017 Munch- Fall 2017

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This is another shrimp dish that is served in taverna 2017

Andrea Tores says Italian food is really good.

This is the nuttela tiramisu in a diffrent angle 2017

This is one of the waiters in taverna 2017

This is a part of the resturant 2017

This is taverna’s bar 2017

This is a part of the resturant 2017

This is one of the workers in taverna 2017

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What kind of Italian

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Savory

Sweet

Breakfast

Brunch

Provolone

Vastedda

Cannoli

Spaghetti

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n food are you?

Cheesy

Spicy

Lunch

Dinner

Mozzarella

Robiola

Pizza

Lasagna

Sorces - Goggle images

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Let’s Taco ‘bout it Diving into the Tex-Mex and Mexican food Rivalry

By: Lena Clubine Horowitz

he heavy hooves of cattle rattled through the plains of the South, heading towards Mexico. Cowboys guided the cows to new grazing lands on horseback. Later, those same cows were dragged back by those cowboys to Kansas, Montana and other areas where they were then shipped to states in the Northeast as meat.

These cowboys from the North encountered Mexican food during the cattle drive, which began in early 1866 and lasted for about 29 years.

The settlers’ experiences sparked interest in this new cuisine and they began recreating the dishes they encountered. The main difference between the Mexican food attempted by the new settlers and

native Mexican dishes was the use of certain ingredients. For example,

“Miguel got his inspiration from cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen while growing up in Mexico.”

-Thomas Gilliland

wheat and beef were more readily accessible and cheaper to the cattle drivers.

(www.mexicantiledesigns.com/2017)

“You go up into the mountains and its meat, carne, beans and rice. Oaxaca has its own type of indigenous cuisine — I think that’s based on what’s readily available in different regions of Mexico, you know, what grows and what the crops are, what the natural resources are,” commented Joe

Draker, the owner of Maudie’s TexMex, while comparing Mexican to Tex-Mex cuisine. Draker explained that while there are a lot of differences between Tex-Mex and Mexican food, it is important to recognize there are also differences in Mexican food based on where one lives and what is grown there.

Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants make a strong appearance and are important to the local culture and distinctiveness of the Austin atmosphere. The menus of these restaurants often trace back to the location where their founders originate.

Fonda San Miguel, a Mexican restaurant established in 1972, recalls its early years: “Miguel got his inspiration from cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen while growing up in Mexico,” recounts Thomas Gilliland, co-founder, remembering the life of Miguel Ravago, the business partner of Gilliland.

Julio’s, a small family-owned Mexican restaurant, started a little differently. “So, my father is from Venezuela, and he wanted to open a restaurant doing rotisserie chicken, a kind of a Venezuelan dish he was familiar with, and he was unsuccessful at funding his idea.

So, he went to my grandmother, my mom’s mom, and said ‘Hey I had this idea for a restaurant, will you help me out with it?’ She said ‘Yeah, I will help you, but I will get to put some of my dishes.’ And, she is Mexican and she put all the Mexican dishes there,” reminisced Julio Lucero, the owner’s son and managers of Julio’s.

Unlike these two previous Mexican restaurants where the recipes came from Mexico, Maudie’s Tex-Mex was originally founded with homemade recipes like biscuits and gravy. The

first owner, Maudie Wilson, who cooked the homemade meals, was reaching the end of her life and decided it was time to move on from the restaurant industry in 1992.

“We went to all natural proteins about six or seven years ago.”

- Joe Draker

When Draker, the current owner of Maudie’s, got his hands on the business, he continued to add recipes from the Tex-Mex genre of eating. “The recipes have evolved and we have added dishes on,” explained Draker. “We have created some new sauces and flavor profiles.”

As shown in the foundation of these separate restaurants, the past gives insight into the genre of food an individual restaurant serves. But what about the future of all these restaurants? Draker and Lucero predicted that the popularity of Tex-Mex will continue to rise, even with the growing population of people from outside Texas and the movement of people towards healthier food options.

comfortable, homey place. So, I feel encouraged that people not from Texas like it and I don’t expect that to change,” Draker explained as he talks about the impact of increasing numbers of New Yorkers and Californians entering Austin.

“Even with the whole gluten-free craze and the vegan stuff, and the paleo stuff, and all the people having so many dietary restrictions and being picky about their food, I think we have still managed to do well. So I think the popularity of Mexican and Tex-Mex is strong still,” Lucero reassured.

With a competitive Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant scene and more people raising questions about where their food is coming from, these three restaurants must stand out in the market above the competition. Each restaurant has its own special qualities that keep them afloat.

Fonda San Miguel continues to promote authentic interior cuisine through hosting chefs from Mexico.

While at Julio’s, Lucero and workers mainly focus on doing a good job, distributing a good product, providing decent service, and being respectful.

restaurants choose the path of adapting to meet the people’s demands or wants. With the increasing desire for healthier options, Maudie’s “cooks everything from scratch daily,” explained Draker. “We went to all natural proteins about six or seven years ago. Organic eggs. So, being health conscious, just making sure that families could trust Maudie’s with what their kids were eating.”

Some

“It seems to me that our restaurant has an appeal to people who are living here. That it is a really

Julio Lucero poses in front of his sign in Austin, Texas.

Lena Clubine Horowitz 2017

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The restaurant, Julio’s, awaites costumers before lunch time in the Hyde Park Neighborhood.

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Fonda San Miguel is relitively crowded as it serves dinners on Wednesday night in Austin, Texas.

Maudie’s has many locations as it is a chain restaurant in Austin, Texas, above is just one location.

Fonda San Miguel, Julio’s, and Maudie’s cannot eliminate all the competition in their area, but they all keep a positive attitude and simply focus on providing delicious food. Both Julio’s and Fonda San Miguel have the same view point about competition. Lucero doesn’t “think about the competition too much and just mostly stays focused on doing a good job.” Gilliland agreed and said, “we don’t really

The sign outside Maudie’s greets customers in Austin, Texas.

think about the competition anymore!

We want every Austin restaurant to succeed and continue to keep our dining scene interesting!”

Tex-Mex and Mexican are different due to where the inspiration of the menus originated and what was readily accessible as ingredients in the past. Now differences are still apparent like the use of more corn tortillas in Mexican restaurants and more flour tortillas in Tex-Mex. More differences arise in the types

Fonda San Miguel’s welcoming enterance beckens people in Austin, Texas.

cheese used in dishes, and the amount of tequila in alcoholic beverages.

of

Even with the differences between Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine and the competition between these restaurants, Fonda San Miguel, Julio’s, and Maudie’s Tex-Mex all share a familiar goal. The goal is to create dishes that they are proud of and to create an atmosphere where people can come from all over to enjoy a comforting meal. ⎕

One item on the menu at Julio’s are it’s popular Quesadillas sold in Austin, Texas.

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How Well Do you Know Tex-Mex v.s. Mexican food?

Guess which option is Tex-Mex from choices By: Lena Clubine Horowitz

Corn torilla or Flour Torilla

V.S.

Black Beans or Refried Beans

V.S.

Chicken or Beef

V.S.

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V.S.

Taco with Rice, Beans, Tomatoes, Lettuce or a Made of Mostly Meat

V.S.

Lettuce or No Lettuce on taco

Toppings: Sour Cream or Avacado, Chilantro, and lime

V.S.

gourmetsleuth.com,simplyrecipes.com, .bigoven.com

V.S.

Sources: thrillist.com, seriouseats.com, benitosmexican.com, spicesinc.com, activityvillage.com, missionfoodservice.com, clickandgrow.com, foodimentary.com,

Soft or Crunchy Taco Shell

Answers: 1. flour 2. black beans 3. chicken 4. crunchy taco shell, 5.taco with rice, beans, tomatoes and lettuce 6.. lettuce 7. sour cream

A Slice of Advice

By Mandalyn Castleberry

American food restaurants local to Austin are popular destinations for both people local to Austin; and those visiting temporarily.

These restaurants are extremely different from average American chains, because they contribute to the city’s character. They’re places with unique attributes and styles. Eye catching to multiple appeals, these places help Austin keep its personality and vibe.

Austin’s restaurants have many things going for them, but one main characteristic is their style. The most desired restaurants in Austin have a casual family setting, and have different unique things that spark up conversations and interest customers. Most of these 20

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creative restaurants have been around for a few decades, but recent ones have drew attention from customers and critics.

Although Austin welcomes new restaurants, locals are pretty picky about the businesses they go to. Customers tend to go to new businesses only if they approve of the style. For example, Mighty Fine, a popular burger restaurant in Austin, has long tables for multiple parties to sit at.

One key component of having a great style is having a welcoming atmosphere. “Our atmosphere is energetic!” Mighty Fine staff say.

“We love the vibe of the place, and we love working here.” The restaurant is very open, with jars

of pickles and other ingredients sitting on shelves around the room. Mighty Fine is located in Sunset Valley, in South Austin.

Its location makes it a great spot to enjoy a great lunch!

As represented with Mighty Fine, location is a huge aspect of drawing in customers and sets the overall tone for a restaurant.

A place located in a mall is extremely different from another that’s located in the heart of the city.

Location separates a chain from a well-respected restaurant.

Homeslice, a pizza place that has been around since 2001, is located on South Congress: a popular spot for locals to visit.

Homeslice has few competitors,

Mighty fine at night. This is a side place, and brings a lot to Austin

Summaries

Little Title Mighty Fine Home to Austin, Mighty Fine specializes in burgers, fries, and shakes. The restaurant has been around since 2007, and has expanded to multiple locations in this time.

Homeslice at night. The Slice Side at the corner is decorative and inviting

unlike chain pizza places, because of the restaurant’s unique attributes.

but our general vibe as well.” `She loves the people that come in and their general demeanor.

Homeslice has two different parts – a sit down restaurant that serves full pies and a “slice side” that serves by the slice. The slice side has fast service, and allows pre-orders via phone. Besides the great food, the slice side lets customers watch their pizza being made. People love to come and watch chefs spin their pizza dough and add the toppings.

Rose Gaines is a concierge at Homeslice. “I’ve been working here for about eight months, and I love it,” she says. Gaines takes orders from customers and tends to the restaurant. “I like our style, and how we not only as an organization treat our customers,

Along with a great location and style, Homeslice also comes with a great story. Owners Jen and Joseph Strickland started the restaurant with a vision for excellent food and a way to entertain customers. The restaurant project was started in late 2001, but did not open for business until November 16, 2005. The Stricklands struggled to try and get Homeslice open.

Construction and finding the perfect store title were just two of the many challenges.

Many local Austin restaurants come with a unique story like Homeslice. Customers love to

Homeslice Homeslice is a local Austin pizza place that is located on South Congress. The restaurant set a Austin vibe that was different from others- and is loved and admired by many happy customers.

Giovonni’s Giovonni’s started in Austin as a trailer, but has become a popular destination for good pizza. A great place for pasta, salads, and soups, it is an Austin favorite.

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entertain themselves by reading the articles often found on the backs of menus. One restaurant in South Austin carries out an amazing story.

starting a restaurant, but I started washing dishes. I knew I didn’t have all the resources and experience to do so.

“Everyone loves pizzaand Austin is a great place to have a pizza restaurant” -Julio Rangel

Rangel explains how he wanted to play it safe and start with small investments. “If I’m able to keep up with the trailer, maybe then I can do something bigger,” he says.

With his trailer, people lined up in the parking lot to get a slice. “I remember the first day when lots of people started showing up. I could not stop smiling.” Rangel talks about expanding in time, but for now he is happy where he is.

Giovanni’s Pizza shows the story of a small trailer becoming a wellknown pizza destination. The trailer was in the parking lot of a regular gas station, and now they have their own kitchen. Inside the market, their kitchen releases great scents that attract people merely wanting to get a snack.

Giovanni’s offers soups and salads, along with special dietary pies.

Giovanni’s also offers deals by the slice, and different pizza sizes.

Julio Rangel is the manager of Giovanni’s and started the restaurant. He came to Austin with a dream of starting a restaurant, but he knew that he had to start at the bottom of the pyramid first. “I worked in other places, washing dishes and mostly cleaning,” he says. “I’d always had a dream of

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“Good restaurants offers qualities that attract people, and make it a friendly work enviorment for all”

-Rose Gains Giovanni’s is just one example of many local Austin businesses who started out small, and then became popular.

Austin is home to many local businesses and they are a big part of the city’s culture. These places have become iconic and recognizable all over Austin. People love to sit and have a great experience with a unique style and an energetic atmosphere. Austin restaurants create or add to desired locations and are able to contribute to the city’s overall vibe.

Local Austin restaurants hold history, and have

stories that are both courageous and inspiring. Restaurants home to Austin are full of unique attributes that regular chains don’t have and this is what separates local American food restaurants from chains reachable in almost every city.

For restaurants trying to land a permanent spot in Austin, location, style, and story are three key aspects to having a successful business. There are many things to come to Austin for: tourist areas, music, and other attributes. But keep in mind, food from these local Austin restaurants ranks very high on the list too.

Homeslice pizza resta

This is a wall on the “Slice Side” of Homeslice.

Julio Rangel- the owner of Giovonni’s Pizza

aurant from the outside. This is where the Slice Side meets the main seating area.

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Results

50 students at LASA High School took a survey about their favorite local pizza restaurant. LASA High school holds kids with many different backgrounds, and who live all around Austin.

According to these 50 students, their favorite pizza place was East Side Pies. 40% of these LASA students liked the menu at East Side Pies the most.

What makes these popular local buisnesses so likeable?

It was suprising that places with multiple locations didn’t get more votes. Students prefered places that had more of an Austin attmosphere. For example, Homeslice, which is located on South Congress- an Austin hotspot.

Developing pizza buisnesses that want a home in in Austin should make it a priority to maintain an Austin energy.

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Popular Pizza Places in Austin By: Mandalyn Castleberry

Popular Local Pizza Places in Austin 20

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3 Austin's Pizza

Homeslice

East Side Pies

Via 313

Gattis Pizza

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Salvation Pizza

Conan’s Pizza

kLittle Deli & Pizzeria

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One of Austin’s most popular food truck parks, the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery.

Locals flock to food trucks such as the Holy Cacao and Torchy’s Taco Truck.

Local Food Truckin’ By: Malena Heineman

W

alking down the street, the fragrant smell of fresh food wafts into unsuspecting nostrils. Drawn to the smell, the source is revealed — a local food truck park with a variety of foods to please everyone! These food trucks have taken Austin by storm and 26 Munch- Fall 2017

have had a lasting impact on its culture.

When walking around in Austin, it has become easy to stumble upon food trucks — either alone or in groups at a small park. They have become an important aspect of the

local community. Their easy access makes them a great way to get food quickly and conveniently, and they are also a popular trend that attracts a wide audience. However, it can be difficult owning one. Catering a unique food to an audience while in competition with sit-down, airconditioned places, like restaurants,

can be arduous in the modern culinary world.

The Austin food truck scene has evolved and become a widespread trend across the city. Owner and general manager of the Mighty Cone food truck, Stephen Tarleton, said, “I definitely think that Austin’s food truck scene is one of the top ones in the country.”

Now, they have become more of a local attraction. Joe Doherty, owner of the Holy Cacao food truck, observed, “I think it’s kind of changed from being something that was like a trend in the city, and it’s become almost another fixture of Austin that people will come see.”

People come to see Austin’s live music, the bats under the bridge, and now: food trucks.

But Doherty also believes that food trucks won’t be around much longer. “I think it’s kind of changed from being something that was initially there to be a service to the community, it still is to some extent, but we’ve had so many restaurants and so many food trucks and so many things that have opened up here in Austin,” he said. “People have so many choices now. I think sometimes that the food truck people sometimes will say, ‘Oh I want to sit down this time, and have someone serve me,’ that kind of thing.”

we haven’t seen anyone pop up like McDonald’s, all over the country, but I think there is opportunity for that if you can set up the right distribution model.”

“It’s a very hard business, not a hobby. People are realizing that.”

-Matthew Odam

Another point of view has helped to shed some light as to why the future of food trucks is up in the air.

Matthew Odam, resident food critic at the Austin Statesman, said, “The food truck fad has already receded some. I think some people got into

it with the same misunderstanding as some people get into restaurants.

It is a very hard business, not a hobby. People are realizing that.”

The trend of food trucks may still be popular now, but it might soon fade away as people turn to the more conventional way of eating in a brick-and-mortar establishments.

A majority of people think there is an underlying competition between the food trucks and their biggest adversary: restaurants.

But in actuality, they are both just trying to make a profit and support themselves. “I think restaurants may be jealous of the cheap rent and operational costs of trucks, but it’s not easy for anyone,” Odam said.

The idea of owning a food truck seems easy. The only things needed to start the business should be getting a truck and having a product, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.“I think the hardest thing, I would say, is that you have to do every job in the restaurant,” Doherty said. “You have to be able to do everything. You also have to able

The Mighty Cone food truck parked in front of the UT Tower in downtown Austin,Texas. Locals partake in a festival there and eat food from this truck and many more.

Tarleton, on the other hand, has optimistic views on the matter.

He believes that the Mighty Cone, and other trucks, will not only be successful in the future, but will have a widespread name and sell their products all over the country.

“I think that eventually we will see more consolidation and more brands that are able to grow and almost grow toward-well, you know, Munch- Fall 2017

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One of the many food truck parks in Austin right before the busy lunch hours.

Hey Cupcake, on South Congress Avenue in down

to do everything. You also have to able to be a plumber and an electrician, and be a painter, and at times be a graphic designer, and you have to learn about marketing. All these things that in a bigger business might fall upon the shoulders of different people, they’re all on you.” Being a food truck owner means that there are only one or two people doing everything that a whole staff of people would be doing in a restaurant.

Another big thing about running a food truck is that there may be a lot of things to do, but there is a lot of versatility in the schedule. Doherty said, “There’s a lot of flexibility, even though it does create a lot of responsibility in your life too.” A person gets to be their own boss and work off of their own schedule, but also has to give a lot of time to their business to make sure their truck is successful.

“There’s a lot of flexibility, even though it does create a lot of responsibility in your life too.”

-Joe Doherty

The Holy Cacao food truck, which is in the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery, opens up for business and awaits customers.

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But the topic of jobs hasn’t been the only difficulty — in our modern society, social media has become a big part of daily life and now it even affects businesses. To get their brand name out there, it has become essential for a food truck to establish a presence on apps like Instagram or Facebook. Tarleton explained, “People tend to think more about just getting the truck, getting the operations, creating a brand, but not the ongoing investment of marketing on social media.”

Yet the commitment to those types of little things is what has made those food trucks successful. For

amassed a fervent local following of people here in Austin.

In fact, the Mighty Cone had a presence at the Austin City Limits music festival this year, as they have since the food truck started. Doherty gave an example of the undying loyalty of locals at the Holy Cacao,

ntown Austin, Texas.

example, the Holy Cacao food truck and the Mighty Cone have each been open for about nine years and have

“People tend to think more about just getting the truck, getting the operations, creating a brand, but not the ongoing investment of marketing on social media.”

“There’s some people who are die hard fans of our cake pops and they’ll tell you, I won’t say it, but they’ll say we have the best ones in the city.”

The future of all food trucks may be questionable, but the most successful ones so far have a good chance of survival in the future.

Although running a food truck can be grueling, it is worth it to cater to the local community. With this inisde information, it’s safe to say that as long as a food truck has the right product and the right marketing strategy, it will be able to survive and thrive in the modern world. ◻

-Stephen Tarleton

The food truck, Chi’lantro, attracts a group of customers on a warm autumn day in downtown Austin.

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Keep on Truckin’!

A Guide to Austin Food Trucks

Food Trucks are a pretty popular local, and tourist, attraction in Austin.

In this illustration, I took a few of the most popular food trucks in Austin, with a variety of food types, and gave their location and a short description to make it easy to choose where to eat on a Friday night when feeling bored of your usual meals.

2.

1.

3.

5.

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4.

Jew Boy Burgers

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Churro Co.

6.

D

EE

D

EE

1. Hey Cupcake: one of the most iconic food trucks in Austin, the original cupcake bakery on wheels is located on South Congress Avenue.

2. Chi’Lantro: Quesadillas? Hot dogs? Burgers? All these get a unique

Korean twist at Austin’s very own Korean-BBQ-To-Go truck found

on Barton Springs Road at the Picnic Trucks trailerpark.

3. The Mighty Cone: Also located at Barton Springs’ Picnic Trucks park

is this Austin street staple that first introduced their legendary Hot

& Crunchy fried chicken cone at the famous local festival, ACL in

2002.

4. Churro Co.: This yummy truck can be found at the East Riverside Food

Truck park. They sell delicious churros that are not just delicious,

but they are also very aesthetically pleasing.

5. Jew Boy Burgers: Located at the 500 Burnet Food Truck park, this

Latino-inspired Jewish-American food truck is known for their

delicious burgers and their chopped onion and garlic latkes.

6. Dee Dee: This Northern Thai food truck is located in the Aztec Food

Trailer Park. Their pad kapow, a spicy stir-fried pork dish served with

jasmine rice and thai basil, is their most popular item.

Sources: http://www.foodtrailersaustin.com; https://roaminghunger.com/food-trucks/tx/austin/; https://www.thrillist. com/eat/austin/best-austin-food-trucks-parks

Sweet Success

By Lily Keefauver

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“In order to be successful, you need to have a strong work ethic, drive, and attention to the details.

You also need to have a written down plan and set small goals so you can reach your overall goals.”

Lily Keefauver/2017

--Matthew Petersen

A final swirl of butter cream is added to the sweet cup-

cake as customers come filing into the bakery. A scoop of creamy ice cream is added to a waffle cone. The finishing touch of chocolate is drizzled onto the ice cream sandwich as it’s being served to a customer. These finishing touches may seem simple to the average consumer, but they are one of the many requirements restaurants have to meet to succeed in a constantly developing city like Austin.

Austin, Texas, has an abundance of dessert restaurants to try out. There are classic ice cream shops, unique food trucks, and new bakeries located throughout the city. To a tourist, the volume of options can be overwhelming, especially when trying to decide between the best of the best. Some of the most iconic places in Austin are Lick Honest Ice Creams, HeyCupcake, and Moojo.

No matter the specialty, these places all share a common denominator.

They all serve quality ingredients to a variety of audiences. So, is that the secret to running a successful dessert establishment, or are there underlying factors that are typically overlooked?

When people think of Austin food, they normally think of Tex-Mex or food trucks, but what is usually overlooked is the profusion of quality desserts available to the public.

So, with this immediate disadvantage, how do dessert shops thrive in a large city like Austin, and what makes them successful?

“In order to succeed, it is important to find a good way to differentiate the business, especially in a place like Austin” states Rosemary Nolan, manager of Lick Honest Ice Creams.

This idea can be applied to many different audiences. Depending on the target audience, establishments will vary in characteristics and ap

peals.

For example, Lick Honest Ice Creams uses all fresh ingredients that are local to Austin to ensure quality products for the customers. This builds their reputation by allowing customers to trust that they are eating natural foods.

Nolan said, “It’s kinda nice to sell a product that you’re passionate about. I mean it’s hard selling something that you wouldn’t want to eat yourself and you don’t believe in.”

Natural ingredients are boasted in society for promoting general health and well-being. This bias can promote businesses that endorse healthy eating at a low price point because it appeals to a large target audience in Austin.

However, with desserts, this can be a challenge due to the fact that they are perceived as sugary and scientifically bad for overall health. Desserts in Austin are marketed for different redeeming

A scoop of chocolate ice cream sits in a cup at Lick Honest Ice creams. Austin, Texas (Lily Keefauver/2017)

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traits, whether it be healthy ingredients, a memorable slogan, or unique products, the choices throughout Austin vary greatly.

Success isn’t solely dependent on the ingredients that are used. Customer feedback plays a big role in a restaurant’s reputation because, in the end, it’s the volume of sales that determines the profit.

Although quality A fresh carrot cupcake is displayed at HeyCupcake! Austin, Texas (Lily ingredients may be Keefauver/2017) widely supported, it can be a challenging standard for larger ers products that they can enjoy. companies to meet. Especially if they are in the dessert business. If Matthew Petersen elaborates on a business serves a wide range of what it means to him to be successcustomers then the quality control ful, “In order to be successful, you can vary, because of the mass size need to have a strong work ethic, of the target audience. drive, and attention to the details.

You also need to have a written But this reasoning doesn’t mean down plan and set small goals so large companies aren’t able to pro- you can reach your overall goals.” duce quality products. They might take a different approach, possibly This advice can be applied to all marketing their products at a lower aspects of a business. Whether it price point or focusing on a tradebe the customer service, or what mark quality that customers can goes on in the kitchen. For example, trust. With all these differences, it Moojo goes above and beyond by is clear that a company’s success making their ice cream sandwiches isn’t determined by one set factor. with warm, fresh cookies. This shows how they value the craftsHowever, there does seem to be a manship of their sandwiches, and common trait shared among the how they are dedicated to profestop dessert companies in Austin. sional customer service.

Each owner, worker, and manager is dedicated to serving the custom- HeyCupcake, a local Austin food

truck and bakery, utilize their popularity to gain an advantage to get ahead. Simon Calhoub, assistant manager and head baker, explains

a fun job.”

the work that gets put into producing the cupcakes for a large audience. He said, “We make a thousand cupcakes on average, a thousand two hundred over the weekend and I’d say like eight hundred during the week. The work tends to be a bit repetitive but for me, it never feels like work.” Sharing similar sentiment, Nolan describes the work environment as, “fun, since they get to make all of the ingredients from scratch from the kitchen, overall it’s

business depending on demands, atmosphere, and restaurant theme.

Lily Keefauver/2017

These comparisons show how environment changes from business to

events are constantly being scheduled. Lick Ice Cream along with HeyCupcake are releasing new flavors to fit the theme of fall. While

With ice cream, there’s a different process to produce the ice cream than with cupcakes. Businesses can use this diversity to their advantage and get a level up on their competition.

Calhoub said, “I don’t think we really have like much specific cupcake versus cupcake competition. And we’ve been here ten years and I don’t think we’re going anywhere anytime soon.”

Moojo Ice Cream is participating in a University of Texas (UT) Water Ski Team Profit Share.

So with all the influential factors that affect a business’ success, there’s not one specific path to achievement. Especially in Austin, since the city is full of diversity and culture. In the end, there’s no right or wrong path to success. Austin is overflowing with dessert shops, new ideas, and treats. No matter what, a memorable experience is guaranteed! ⎕

However, Nolan said, “ Now it’s like a new dessert place opens like every week so, I mean there’s a lot of competition in this one road along South Lamar. There’s Amy’s Ice Cream which we get compared to a lot, so we try to stand out with our flavors and we have a wide selection.”

In addition to competition, menus are constantly changing and new A tray of fresh cupcakes are displayed at HeyCupcake! Austin, Texas (Lily Keefauver/2017)

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What dessert are you?

By: Lily Keefauver

Start Cookie

Ye s

Do you like waffles?

No

Cookie dough or Frozen Yogurt?

ld Co

Cold or Hot? Hot

No

Do you like pancakes?

Sweet

Sweet or Savory

Tea or coffee

Muffin

Muffin or Cupcake

Sauce

Chocolate chips or fudge sauce?

oc Ch

Coffee

a

ll ni

Va

Cupcake

ol at e

Tea

Yes

Savory

While chocolate

Yogurt

Vanilla or white-chocolate

This guide will reveal what dessert perfectly matches your style, taste, and overall personality. This quiz is meant to encompass your identity and match it with a globally loved dessert.

Stores Or Local?

With all the combinations of sweets and treats available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed from all of the options. Society advertises local places to eat as well as global corporations. So which foods are the best to eat? Depending on mood, dietary restrictions, and location, the most convenient dessert may not always be the one that’s closest in reach. This simple to navigate comparison shows what’s in popular desserts, and showcases the benefits of eating local in Austin, TX.

Chips Ahoy

Tiff’s Treats

Chips Ahoy cookies are Nabisco marketed products with high popularity in America.

They are known to make good snacks and can be found at most grocery stores.

Calories in serving: 160 Reviews- 4 ½ stars Pros: Great for on the go and snacks Cons: Highly processed and high in sugar

Blue Bell Ice Blue Bell ice cream is one of the most well known brands. The product sells for around $3 and

Calories in serving: 170 Reviews- 5 stars Pros- Great for at home Cons- Not local, quality control can vary.

Tiffs treats is an American based company that serves warm cookies. It has multiple locations in Austin and offers cookies at a low price point.

Calories in serving:168 Reviews-4.5 stars Pros: Warm cookies delivered to your liking Cons:Not available at grocery stores, can only access if you are located in the US.

V.S

Amy’s Ice Cream Amy’s Ice cream is a local Austin based ice cream shop that serves quality ice cream at a low price point.

Calories in serving: 190 Reviews-4 stars Pros- local quality ice cream that serves a wide variety of flavors Cons- Only locations are in Austin.

Sources: Pixabay.com, pinterest.com, Public domain Pictures, pxhere.com

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