Sun Thisweek March 30, 2012
Truck/from 11A of freight company Manna Distribution Services. “It just didn’t work out,” Gustafson said. He and Suzanne pivoted to the growing food-truck movement in the Twin Cities. “It’s pretty good-sized,” Gustafson said of their investment in the Wicked Palate. “We were blessed by Suzanne’s parents, let’s put it that way. They both died in the past year. She got a small inheritance, (divided among) six kids.” Is it scary launching a business at 59? “Actually, no one employing me is far scarier,” Gustafson said. “We chose to invest in a business that we thought we could grow,” he said, freely admitting that he would have been a poor candidate for a business loan. “You’ve Photo by John Gessner Dan Gustafson checked out the inside of his new food trailer, got to take risk in life if you which he plans to name the Wicked Palate and cart around want reward.” Food trucks in the Twin Burnsville.
Cities tend to have gourmet or specialty leanings, leaving an opening for his American fare, said Gustafson, who promises highquality meats and buns on his truck. “I haven’t eaten off a truck yet that wasn’t good food, and trust me, we’ve tried them,” he said. He’s taking menu advice from a friend, trained chef Nate Bode, the former owner of Burnsville businesses Kraemer’s Catering and the AppleWood Rustic Grille and AppleWood Event Center. “The core menu is what we came up with, Suzanne and I,” Gustafson said. “Nate is helping us develop the different spices and sauces we’re going to use.” Along with those burgers, entrees will include Chicago-style hot dogs and beef sandwiches and Southern pulled-pork sandwiches. “That’s a Southern-style pulled pork with the cole slaw on top,” Gustafson
said. “In the South, when you order a hot dog or pulled pork, they always ask if you want slaw.” Don’t forget fries. “We’re going to have regular fries and sweet potato fries, like Nate served at AppleWood,” said Gustafson, who, after losing his freight franchise, helped Bode at his business before it was felled by what Gustafson described as a recessiondriven drop in catering clients. “Nate used to sell out of those all the time.” Gustafson has obtained a transient merchant permit from the city of Burnsville and was in the process of finalizing a license from the state Department of Health. “You can park your truck on any (Burnsville) street it’s legal to park on,” he said. “Because I’m a council member, I did my diligence. I went from the city attorney on down, talking to people about how to make this thing work.”
13A
He and Suzanne hope to draw enough business to hire an employee or two. For now, Dan said, the Wicked Palate will remain in Burnsville. Where, exactly? “All over — wherever there’s a crowd,” he said. John Gessner is at john.gessner@ecm-inc.com.
Photo by John Gessner
Suzanne Gustafson stood beside the food trailer she and her husband, Dan, plan to cart around Burnsville.