food & drink
live, it’s where our friends are. It’s our community. We love this city, and we love serving our friends and neighbors. “Financially, we’re not rolling in dough. We barely pay ourselves.” He adds: “It’s a mix of what we’ve saved and trying to put money back into making this work.” Since starting their business, the Fredericks say they noticed how ATC was becoming more diverse and community-driven in its array of shops and restaurants. “We envisioned having somewhat of a community space, having
a place where you can see your neighbor, where you can see a person making coffee or a local artist, maybe hear poetry or music,” Toriano says. “Maybe American Tobacco saw that we can kind of create a vibe here.” Boricua Soul and Spanglish still operate as food trucks in the area, but they both hail the benefits of expansion. The first, as one may expect, is more physical space to cook and experiment with their dishes. The Boricua food truck has one four-burner stove and one refrigerator. The Spanglish food truck has only the essentials. “Now we can always look to try something new, and if that doesn’t work, we can try something else because there’s so much flexibility, so many more possibilities,” Serena says. Like Boricua, Spanglish sold only crowd favorites to minimize waste and cook more efficiently. Now they have a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Boricua will also host an expanded menu and will be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages on-site. The Fredericks and the original Spanglish crew also wanted to build a more consistent RADIUS schedule for themselves and their customers. Neither food truck had a set schedule and often catered to the same crowds at festivals or breweries. “If your truck’s not running, if it’s not on the street, then nobody’s finding out that you exist,” Doel says. “Whereas at a location like in downtown, people walk by, and they’ll walk in and have our food. Now we have gained a new person who otherwise wouldn’t have known we existed.” The Spanglish crew served from the truck each afternoon and often worked long into the night preparing meals for the next day. “It was a sacrifice,” Doel says. ECLECTIC COMFORT CUISINE • WOODFIRED BRICK OVEN PIZZA • FULL BAR • EVENT CATERING Spanglish and Boricua have branched out of being solely family operated – Spanglish has 12 employees, and Boricua is hiring line RECEPTIONS & REHEARSAL DINNERS, SHOWERS, BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES, MEETINGS & LUNCHEONS cooks and additional hands to help serve on the truck. Though rents and payroll have driven up operating costs, both groups of owners say they expect, and look forward to, strong returns on their investments. “There are so many cool things that I’m excited to take advantage of,” Serena says. 112 N. CHURTON STREET • DOWNTOWN HISTORIC HILLSBOROUGH And, she adds, she plans to “work my butt off to be successful.” 919.245.0601 • radiuspizzeria.net •
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september 2019