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Alternative Food Truck serves up All-American alternative
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
It’s a sunny Monday afternoon on Youngstown State University’s campus. Parked on Lincoln Avenue is a truck painted with flames heating up and alluring students to some mouth-watering food choices.
“I like cooking,” said Greg Saunders, owner of the truck. “I like something different. I figure I serve people what I would be served.”
The white-bearded Saunders wears a “Got Burgers?” shirt while talking about his love of a good burger – one that doesn’t come from a package.
“I smoke my own pork,” Saunders said. “And I make my own fresh burgers.”
The Alternative food truck doesn’t serve up salads, sushi or strange servings. It’s an All-American menu that Saunders said offers an alternative to the other burger, hot dog and french fry shops.
The Fat Penguin – a top-selling sandwich at the food truck – comes with fine-sliced steak, chicken strips, cheese sticks, fries and marinara sauce for $10.
Another not-so-healthy – but salty-and-sweet – sandwich is the Cop Burger served with bacon, grilled onions and cheese on a doughnut.
The sandwiches are accompanied by a stack of french fries that are often compared with Idora Park’s fries.
The truck also has lamb and turkey burgers, chicken baskets, DiRusso’s sausage, patty melts and grilled cheese.
“I play around all the time and come up with some new [menu items],” Saunders said.
Saunders decided to start up his mobile business about five years ago. He calls it his retirement plan.
“It keeps me from sitting at home,” Saunders said.
Saunders, 73, drove a tractor-trailer for 50 years and saw the food-truck following in California.
“I figured I’d try it back here,” he said.
He bought a truck, came up with a name, and had special flame and skull graphics made for his business. He first took to the streets of Slippery Rock, Pa., where he had a hot-dog shop and bakery. Four years ago, he started to come to Youngstown on Friday and Saturday nights, and then started to come to campus during the week.
“I enjoy it,” Saunders said. “I really do.”
His retirement plan keeps him busy. During the week, you can find the truck parked on campus typically on Lincoln Avenue, and sometimes downtown on Federal Street. During the weekend, the truck attends local events from neighborhood block parties, dog shows and concerts.
His day starts at 6 a.m. with preparation. He gets to campus about 9:30 a.m., and by 11 a.m. the rush starts . It ends about 2 p.m. With help from his employee, he serves until about 4 or 5 p.m.. But after cleanup, his day ends about 9 p.m.
“The days have been good,” Saunders said after serving a busy lunch crowd. “I can’t complain.”
The benefits of the mobile restaurant compared with a sit-down restaurant are vast, Saunders says. First, there are no building taxes or utility costs.
“It only takes a couple of people to run it instead of a whole army,” Saunders said.
Saunders suggests those interested in the mobile-food business consider the cost of startup and the permits needed to run a food truck.
The students he serves see the benefits, too.
Tray Gabriel, a freshman student in the computer science and information program at YSU, has frequented the flaming truck since February.
He gives it a 10 out of 10 because it’s convenient, fairly priced and tastes “pretty good.”
“It’s definitely worth grabbing something to eat if you are hungry,” he said.