The food truck trend

With Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen

Story and Photos by Lizz Daniels

Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen loves food trucks. Whether it’s the homemade hotdog buns at TNT Dogz or the freshness of a chalupa from Susie Q’s, Dodgen,much like other locals, can’t get enough of the artisanal food offeringsfrom the area’s growing number of food trucks.

“I had one of my first Cuban sandwiches, and probably one of the best I’ve eaten at a food truck that was here,” said Dodgen. “I just like to try different foods. There’s really nothing I don’t like. I have to tell you, I’m really not fond of brussel sprouts the way my mother did them. Bless her heart, but she would do them like little cabbages and I just didn’t like them. But when I’ve had them in a salad kind of shaved, or grilled they’re just amazing.”

Dodgen loves to follow her adventurous palette to new and exciting flavors –– even ones she thought she didn’t like. Food trucks tend to focus on a few signature dishes instead of extensive menus, which is a growing trend in the food industry. Food trucks themselves are also experiencing explosive growth as more small business owners try their hand at the business format.

“I think they are popup meals on wheels and probably one of the most interesting small business ventures

that has begun,” said Dodgen. “I think they are amazing. They add things, they add value. And if anything Freedom Fiesta, with all those food trucks running out, told us that, and they were all from around here.”

Back in July, the food trucks rallied for Seguin’s first Freedom Fiesta Food Truck Festival. Attendees swarmed the trucks forming lines that stretched across the downtown square and helped keep the Fourth of July festivities going all evening. It was so successful that, as Dodgen said, most of them sold out, which she attributes to the carefully curated menus offered by the area’s food truck owners.

Photo by Lizz Daniels

“I’ll tell you one of the most interesting places is BS Brewing. He has a different food truck every weekend. I think he’s a food truck connoisseur. They’re there from Friday afternoons and Saturdays, and they’re from all over. But they’re all families and small businesses. The Backyard and putting the food trucks there is another example of how that goes. It’s a real savings for him, plus it makes other people some money.”

While the food truck business is great for the downtown economy, the artistry behind the menus and ingredients makes food trucks truly special.

“It’s like a chef ’s special on wheels,” said Dodgen. “And they get to do different things and that’s kind of trendy. I don’t think it takes away from the other restaurants at all. I think it enhances whatever activity you’re going to have, and our Food Truck Fridays downtown are kind of an example. How they affect us in the city is, they’ve brought more people in. They’ve added some quality of life. They’ve added something that the younger people want. We may not have as many restaurants as they want, but we have food trucks that have a lot of different things.”

Seguin’s food trucks cook up everything from street tacos to Wagyu beef in small, locally sourced batches allowing locals to try a wide variety of new foods. It’s great for families because when the food trucks gather, the sky is the limit on options.

“It’s meant to be walkin’ food, street food. That’s how it started, but I think it’s also meant to stop by, get something and go home. I think families go up, and the kids get to pick, and then they leave. So it’s not like you have a turnover in tables. It may take a little longer, but food truck aficionados know that. They know the quality they’re going to get, and they don’t mind the price or the wait.”

For foodies like Dodgen, the local offerings are both affordable and delicious. And while she loves them all, she does have some personal favorites that she recommends to her friends.

“I will tell you, I keep thinking about Susie Q’s –– they have the best chalupa I’ve ever eaten in my life, and I eat a lot of Mexican food, but that chalupa is dang good,” said Dodgen. “It’s fresh. I’m telling you. I think he takes two little corn tortillas, fries them together. And the hamburger meat is not greasy at all, it’s dry. And then he puts fresh tomatoes, lettuce , onions, it is so good. And he probably uses a longhorn cheese or something to give it a snap, but it is so good. I think the creativity is what I just love. “

Photo by Lizz Daniels

With the local food truck scene multiplying, some favorites are even looking to expand into storefronts, which will give locals more opportunities to try them out.

“The TNT hot dog truck, that company is amazing,” said Dodgen. “They’re always looking for something downtown. They want a building they can afford. They want to stay here. I think there’s a lot of people who couldn’t afford a whole restaurant, but yet love food. Look at Ernest at Burnt Bean. He did popups, which is kind of a food truck stationary.”

Since starting as a popup, Seguin’s Burnt Bean Co. has gone on to receive statewide acclaim with lines wrapped around the building as restaurant-goers wait to get a taste...a lot like the food trucks at Freedom Fiesta.

As the city works to make it easier for new businesses to operate, the food truck trend shows no signs of slowing down, which means good things for the local economy, and even better things for foodies eager to fill their bellies with something new. •