While visiting Portland, Streat Mobile Bistro owner Izzy Schachner was enamored by the concept of “pods,” semi-permanent gathering spaces for that city’s 500-plus food trucks. Rather than roam the streets in search of a sweet spot, food trucks there park en masse at various pods and attract huge crowds.

“The thing I liked most about that system was that the parking lot owner charged a little rent and invested money in the space,” says Schachner, taking a break from feeding the cast and crew of Draft Day. “They would install a tent, put out tables and chairs, a hand washing station, bathrooms… It was very family friendly.”

These are some of the amenities that Schachner and MidTown Cleveland hope to aspire to at the new weekly food truck round-up The Chomp. Starting this Tuesday, May 14, Streat Mobile and other food trucks will feed hungry folks in the neighborhood from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.

This “pod” will be set up at E. 46th Street and Euclid, a privately owned street that will be fenced off. Nearby parking lots will offer free and easy parking for those in Midtown and beyond.

“The goal is to help make Midtown a relevant place, not just during the day but at night too,” adds Schachner.

To help achieve that goal, Midtown also is announcing The Pour, a monthly happy hour that will feature food trucks and alcohol vendors in an open-air environment. The first one takes place on May 30, with others taking place on the last Thursday of every month.

“We’re hoping for a big launch,” he adds.

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2013/05/10/new-weekly-food-truck-meet-up-monthly-happy-hour

]]> http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/05/cleveland-oh-new-weekly-food-truck-meet-up-monthly-happy-hour/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/03/cleveland-oh-cleveland-food-trucks-may-help-cater-polish-parade-after-party-in-parma/ http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/03/cleveland-oh-cleveland-food-trucks-may-help-cater-polish-parade-after-party-in-parma/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:00:30 +0000 MFN Editor #1 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=47119 By Bob Sandrick |  Sun News

via flickr.com

PARMA Attendees of this year’s Polish Constitution Day parade, scheduled for May 5, may enjoy a wider variety of food during the after-party.

The city has invited four Cleveland gourmet food trucks — Zydeco Bistro, Umami Moto, the Nosh Box and StrEat Bistro — to help cater the event.

To make it financially worthwhile for the food trucks, the city wants to waive the fee each normally would have to pay as an “itinerant” or mobile vendor.

“Requiring each itinerant vendor to pay a $100 fee for a one-day, four-hour event would place an undue financial burden on the vendor and limit the city’s ability to attract food vendors for the event,” says a proposed ordinance that would waive the fee.

The invitation to outside vendors, and the proposed waiving of the fee, has not gone over well with Jon Holt, co-owner of Little Polish Diner on Ridge Road.

“We’re upset that the city has hijacked the after-party that we have been handling on our own for years,” Holt told the Sun Post last week.

The issue was first discussed at a March 11 meeting of council’s Finance Committee.

At the meeting, Erik Tollerup, the city’s director of community services and economic development, said attendance at the Polish Constitution Day parade has grown to about 5,000 since it first came to Parma in 2010.

Tollerup said just one restaurant — Little Polish Diner — has catered the after-party each year but can no longer handle it alone.

Council President Sean Brennan asked if city officials had asked LPD and other Parma restaurants how they feel about waiving the itinerant-vendor fee for the Cleveland food carts.

Brennan said other Parma businesses have complained in the past about itinerant vendors temporarily setting up shop in Parma.

Councilwoman Debbie Lime, who sponsored the fee-waiving ordinance, replied that invitations to participate in the Polish parade and after-party were sent to all businesses in Polish Village. She said 95 percent of them agreed to take part.

However, Holt told the Sun Post he did not receive an invitation. He said city officials didn’t tell him they were inviting outside vendors to work the after-party.

Holt said it isn’t true that LPD cannot handle the after-party by itself anymore.

“I may write a letter to the mayor (Tim DeGeeter) about how upset I am,” Holt said.

Holt said that he has been sole sponsor of the after-party for three years and even sponsored a Polish Constitution Day party for two years before the parade came to Parma.

LPD traditionally had the party in its rear parking lot. Holt agreed the party has grown, and this year his landlord withheld permission to host the party, due partly to liability concerns.

Holt said he proposed hosting the after-party in a parking lot outside St. Charles Borromeo Church on Ridge, but Lime said no. He said she was concerned that the party would disturb the nearby residential neighborhood.

According to Holt, Lime then told him that he was no longer an after-party sponsor but that he could help cater the event.

Lime said she had no comment.

Tollerup the Ohio Division of the Polish American Congress — not Holt or LPD — has sponsored the parade after-party.

Francis Rutkowski, first vice president of the Ohio PAC, said his organization will do the same this year.

“It’s not his (Holt’s) event,” Rutkowski said. “The after-party is part of the weekend sponsored by the Ohio Division of the Polish American Congress. And it always has been, even when it (the parade and after-party) was in Cleveland.”

Rutkowski said the Ohio PAC approves of the city’s plan to bring in outside food vendors.

“It was always the hope of the congress that the event would get bigger each year,” Rutkowski said.

http://www.cleveland.com/parma/index.ssf/2013/03/cleveland_food_trucks_may_help.html

Chris Hodgson, owner of Dim and Den Sum, prepares food from inside his truck parked outside The Flying Monkey at the 2011 Tremont ArtWalk.

Downtown Cleveland chef Chris Hodgson is one of 100 nominees for Food & Wine magazine’s annual “The People’s Best New Chef Award” for 2013.

“I’m extremely honored and excited,” says Hodgson, executive chef of Hodges restaurant on Euclid Avenue. “Being recognized by Food & Wine is huge. It means that we’re doing something right, and bringing some more attention and honor to Cleveland – and I couldn’t be happier for that.”

Unlike Food & Wine’s highly regarded annual “Best New Chefs in America” honor, which is conferred by the magazine’s editors, “The People’s New Chef” award is voted on by consumers in 10 regions across the nation.

Voting begins today, and runs through Monday, March 18. Vote at foodandwine.com/peoples-best-new-chef.

Hodgson has already brought his share of attention to Northeast Ohio. As operator of his original venture, Dim and Den Sum food truck, the young chef drew acclaim. In 2011 he and his team landed a spot on Food Network’s “Great Food Truck Race” with a second truck, Hodge Podge. Team Hodgson made it all the way to the final round before being defeated by a team from Los Angeles. After joining Driftwood Restaurants and Catering (Washington Place Bistro and Inn; Welshfield Inn) as a partner, Hodgson and operator Scott Kuhn opened Hodges in downtown Cleveland.

As an incentive to vote, Driftwood Restaurants invites fans to take a screen shot of their vote confirmation and show it to their server when they visit Hodges, where they’ll receive a free snack. “In addition, anyone [Northeast Ohioans only] who ‘shares’ the announcement from the Hodges’ Facebook page will be entered into a drawing for dinner for 10 in their home, cooked by Hodgson,” the restaurant said in a media release.

“If Cleveland gets behind us, it means we have a great shot at winning not just the regional competion but the country-wide prize too,” Hodgson says.

American Express Publishing Corporation, which publishes Food & Wine magazine, issues the following voting provision. Voting ends on Monday, March 18, online at foodandwine.com/the-peoples-bnc. One vote per IP address per region. Votes from automated means will be disqualified. Chefs with the highest eligible votes per region will become regional winners. The People’s Best new Chef will be determined based on highest number of eligible votes received during the voting period irrespective of region. All votes are subject to verification.

http://www.cleveland.com/dining/index.ssf/2013/03/cleveland_chef_chris_hodgson_n.html

It might be cold outside, but that’s not stopping new food truck businesses from popping up during the winter. Sweet! the Mobile Cupcakery is one example having launched in November and currently serving outside the 400 Farmers Market at 400 West Rich in Franklinton. Originally founded in Cleveland by Dave Southerington, the Columbus truck is run by sister Amy Line who carries the torch for your Central Ohio mobile cupcake needs.

We spoke recently with Amy to find out more about the origins of the Cupcakery. Our full interview can be found below:

Q: First, can you tell us a bit about your background as it relates to cupcakes, baking and mobile food?

A: Dave and I have always loved to cook and bake, so when Dave saw the mobile food business taking off in Cleveland he looked at what was out there and saw there was no mobile truck or vendor that really filled the dessert niche. Cupcakes were just taking off at that point and he decided to do a mobile cupcake truck since it could fill that niche and take advantage of the cupcake craze. I was envious when he first started because I’ve always thought that I’d love to have a bakery or restaurant business where I could do what I love, which is baking. Neither of us had experience or a background in the mobile food industry, so we’ve been learning as we go.

Q: So, which one came first… the Columbus truck or Cleveland truck? And what spurred the growth into the other city?

A: The Cleveland truck came first. He opened for business in the Spring of 2011. Dave is an art teacher, but he found it difficult to find a permanent position in the Cleveland school districts. He wanted to find an alternative business that he could do full time. Dave’s wife Debbie and I had been talking for some time about starting a truck in Columbus, and we talked Dave into bringing his Sweet! truck to the August food truck festival at the Ohio Historical Village. We made 800 cupcakes for the two day event thinking if we sold all of those in two days we would be happy and feel it was worth the travel from Cleveland. We sold out the first day and had to bake more for the second day. After that experience, Dave was convinced that a cupcake truck in Columbus would do just as well as the one in Cleveland. That same weekend we found an old schoolbus that had been modified already to be a food truck, bought it, reconfigured it, and had it painted the same as the Cleveland truck.

Q: When exactly did the Columbus truck get up and running and how has the reception been so far?

A: The Columbus truck debuted in November 2012 at a food truck event in Whitehall. The reception has been wonderful. People love cupcakes! Winter is a slow time to really get started, but it works out perfectly for me because I still have a full time job as an Account Executive, so my ability to really be going at it 100% is a little limited. Right now I only book weekend, evening and large events. This summer we will have our college kids home to help man the truck at daytime events and we will be going at it full steam.

Q: What types of flavors do you offer and what are your most popular customer favorites?

A: We have a huge variety of flavors because Dave and I love to experiment. We have several flavors that we always have on the truck at events including the “Billy Idol”, which is a white wedding cake with vanilla buttercream frosting with a hint of almond, the “Tri-C”, which is triple chocolate, Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting, the “Buckeye”, which is chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, and we also carry a gluten-free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. We’ve found these flavors to be the most popular. We typically add a couple of seasonal flavors to the mix such as Orange Creamsicle, Key Lime Pie, Almond Joy, Chocolate Salted Caramel, Tirimisu, Eggnog and Spiced Cider. I’m planning to try a chocolate covered strawberry for Valentine’s Day and a Pink Lemonade Cupcake this summer.

Q: Can our readers find you soon at any upcoming events?

A: We always post on Facebook and Twitter when we are at public events. We were at the Dinin’ Hall last weekend and will be there again on February 23rd and March 9th. We did the Chilly Open charity event and are looking to the spring and summer for arts festivals and community events in the area. We are hoping to be involved with the Columbus Commons event on Thursdays and the First Friday event in Westerville, but are waiting to hear back on both of those. Our website also has a calendar of events for both the Cleveland and Columbus trucks.

For more information, visit www.mobilecupcakery.com.

http://www.columbusunderground.com/mobile-cupcakery-delivering-dessert-to-food-truck-events

CLEVELAND – The birth of food trucks in Cleveland a couple years has sparked a whole new concept on wheels – a T-shirt truck.

Tony Madalone, the owner of Fresh Brewed Tees – a Cleveland-based and -focused clothing operation – announced he’s expanding his business to include a retail truck.

Madalone, who owns a store at the South Park Mall in Strongsville, said he’s been looking for a retail location in Cleveland’s hot spots – East 4th/Gateway, Warehouse District, Ohio City, Tremont, etc. – and couldn’t decide on which one.

“So we got creative and thought, ‘what if we go where the people are?!’” Madalone posted online.

The company purchased a box truck that looks similar to a food truck, but it’s looking for help from Clevelanders to help get it “street ready.” He’s hoping to get $5,000 in the next 24 days, and has already raised more than $1,600.

Madalone turned to Kickstarter – a crowd-funding website that allows people to providing financial backing for a project in return for something from the owner if and when the project meets its goal.

For instance, those donating $5 or more will get an Free Brewed Tees truck sticker, and those giving $50 or more will get: a high five, cool sticker, invite to cookout part and a limited edition T-shirt.

According to an article in Cleveland Magazine , Madalone is working with Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman to pass legislation to allow such a truck during major events in the city.

“The biggest challenge we’ll face is getting permission from the city of Cleveland to sell from the truck on city streets in the central business district,” wrote Madalone on the Kickstarter page. “We’re currently able to sell in private lots with permission from the lot owner and a $300+ permit per location, but we’d need the city to change the laws in order for us to sell on the street like food trucks. Help make this dream a reality and sign our petition and contact our local leaders!”

Food trucks faced a similar battle when they first started popping up in downtown Cleveland, and Cimperman worked with council to come up with a plan that would allow the trucks to operate in some areas.

Elvis Serrano, who recently opened the brick-and-mortar Jibaro Pit Stop in Lakewood, spoke at the Lakewood City Council meeting on Dec. 17 to change the minds of city council members regarding an ordinance banning food trucks on public property. Credit Courtesy of Jibaro

he owner of the Jibaro food truck is hoping to change an ordinance prohibiting food trucks from setting up shop on public property in Lakewood.

Elvis Serrano, who recently opened the brick-and-mortar Jibaro Pit Stop in Lakewood, spoke at the Lakewood City Council meeting on Dec. 17 to change the minds of city council members.

The next day, he met with Ward 3 city councilman Shawn Juris to discuss the proposal.

Serrano was an early pioneer of food trucks in Cleveland, launching his in 1993. He sees the food truck industry working in cooperation with area restaurants — not hurting them.

“At first, restaurants in Cleveland didn’t support it either,” said Serrano, noting that neighboring restaurants were threatened by food trucks, but soon realized that they helped bar business and made entire neighborhoods food destinations.

“It didn’t happen overnight.”

But food trucks shouldn’t start their engines just yet.

“I don’t think we are at a stage to do anything legislatively yet,” said Juris. “I think there are a few different ways that food trucks can operate and I don’t think (the ordinance) is necessarily anything that needs to be changed.”

“Downtown Cleveland is quite a but different than Lakewood.”

Dru Siley, the city’s director of planning and development, said that a city ordinance prohibits food trucks from operating on public streets, but they are allowed to set up in private commercial parking lots with permission from the owner.

“There are options for them,” Siley said, pointing to events such as Light Up Lakewood as potential opportunities for food trucks like Jibaro.

“It sounds like they are very respectful of brick and mortar businesses, but we will follow up with them and explore some of their ideas. I think council is open to new ideas. We’ll see where this conversation goes.”

Serrano said he believes that Lakewood City Council “was receptive to the idea” and plans to follow up with officials at Lakewood City Hall.

“I think it will take some time, but I am hopeful that it will happen in Lakewood,” he said. “We will see what happens.”

http://lakewood-oh.patch.com/articles/food-trucks-coming-to-lakewood

Brian Finks, chef owner of the Fired Up Taco truck, helps customers decide what to order. Browns fans and food afficionados gathered for the Browns/Chiefs watch party, dubbed Touchdown Chowdown, on Sunday, December 9, at Mavis Winkles in Independence.

The Cleveland food truck scene is largely a downtown, summer thing, but maybe not for long.

A desire to expand its appeal to the suburbs, and to other seasons, prompted a handful of food truck operators to circle their wagons in an Independence parking lot during Sunday’s Cleveland Browns game.

The food trucks provided the chow, and the adjacent Mavis Winkle’s pub provided a warm place to watch the game — and of course, beer and other drinks.

“What are Clevelanders crazy about? Good food and the Browns,” proclaimed Sal Caruso, Mavis Winkle’s mobile operations specialist. “So it’s a great opportunity to just do something different.”

Caruso took orders inside the Mavis Winkle’s Paddy Wagon, which was among six other food trucks that cordoned off a section of the parking lot directly in front of the pub, which is normally closed on Sundays.

It wasn’t a muni-lot affair, not even close. It was cold, but people weren’t crazy. Plenty of people wore Browns shirts, but nobody stripped naked.

And the food was as much of a hit as Travis Benjamin’s second quarter punt return.

Izzy Schnachner, Chief Chaos Fixer of Streat Bistro and Production Catering, shows off his Chicken Manwich from his truck

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Mike Guzzo, 35, of Euclid as he headed toward the food trucks at halftime with his girlfriend Kelly King, 37, of Scranton, Pa.

Guzzo had already downed two chili dogs and macaroni and cheese from Mavis Winkle’s Paddy Wagon. Now he was on the hunt for an empanada from the FiredUpTacoTruck.

The contingent of trucks, which also included StrEAT Mobile Bistro, Zydeco Bistro, Cleveland BBQ Company, DonutLab and Sweet! The Mobile Cupcakery are all part of an unofficial organization called Food Truck Operators Cleveland.

Zydeco Bistro food truck

The “Touchdown Chowdown” as the event was dubbed, grew out of the group’s collaboration with marketing specialist Angie Hetrick, whom they hired to find new markets for the winter months.

Hetrick said she used Facebook, the restaurant-review site Yelp and other media to promote the event. And while organizers would have hoped for more people to show up — the crowd reached about 200 to 250 early on — they still felt good about the turnout.

“Being a food truck, we don’t always gauge things on today’s results,” said Izzy Schachner, owner of StrEAT Mobile Bistro and the group’s leader, but on how the exposure can be parlayed into future success.

Tom Strunk, 43, and his wife, Janna, 37, of Willowick, who have been enjoying the food truck phenomenon for the past several months, were among the early-birds Sunday, arriving at Mavis Winkle’s at 11 a.m. to get a prime seat to watch the game on the big screen.

Tom Strunk, 43, said he probably would have just eaten some wings had he stayed home to watch the game. Instead, he loaded up on Cajun fair before the game and cheese fries and a taco just before halftime.

Matt West, owner of the Donut Lab food truck, fries up a fresh batch

“Umm, looks good,” he said around 11:30 a.m., gripping a steaming container of sauce-covered hush puppies in one hand and a Zydeco Bistro specialty called Crawfish Monica in the other.

An expected halftime rush for the food trucks didn’t materialize, but Dave Southerington, owner of Sweet! The Mobile Cupcakery, still seemed optimistic that the day would end well.

His cupcakes are the dessert that complements the other foods, he said, and people like to get them to go.

“So, they’ll get them as they’re heading into their cars,” he said. “Take them home to their family.”

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/12/food_trucks_not_just_for_summe.html

Football fans and foodies will have the chance to sample fare from popular food trucks during “Touchdown Chowdown” Dec. 9 at Mavis Winkle’s, 5005 Rockside Road, Independence.

The Caribbean pool at St. Hazard’s resort in Middle Bass Island will soon have island food to match, thanks to an agreement between a bank and a food truck. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

Good news for fans of Middle Bass Island: St. Hazard’s resort will be kicking up its heels this summer to a Latin beat.

The dire legal and financial binds that threatened to shutter the restaurant and swimming pool complex this summer have been loosened enough for a seasonal tenant, Jibaro World Eats, operator of one of Cleveland’s popular food trucks.

“We fell in love with the place,” said Lorna McLain, who will be running the restaurant with her husband, Cleveland restaurant veteran Elvis Serrano. Opening day for their JiBaro Tiki Bar and Resort is July 4.

Ceviche flatbread pizzas, Moroccan wings, fish of the day with mango salsa, housemade potato chips with Caribbean “jerk” seasoning and a whole line of island-style drinks will be among items offered, McLain said.

Carlos Jones Band will play for opening day. Cooking classes, wine tastings and beer-brewing sessions will be scheduled.

Most days, the restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. with the bar staying open until 2 a.m. On Sundays, brunch only will be offered until 2 p.m. and on Mondays, only dinners will be served.

Jibaro’s truck will still be making the rounds of Cleveland, McLain said, and they are in a flurry of hiring both a truck manager and servers for the island restaurant.

“We’ll be working around the clock,” she said of the short deadline to opening.

http://www.cleveland.com/food-trucks/index.ssf/2012/06/jibaro_food_truck_to_run_resta.html

By TomLivingston | NewsNet5.com

CLEVELAND – In the middle of the battle of the sweet smells of Italian cooking in Little Italy Friday evening, three young ladies from New Jersey entered the fray in a truck, a food truck.

Their food truck, Nonna’s Kitchenette, a food truck from Food Network’s “Great Food Truck Race” , parked in front of La Dolce Vita selling food inspired by their grandmothers’ home cooking.

“Everything we do on the truck is homemade,” said Lisa Nativo. “We do homemade meatballs with our grandmas’ homemade Italian sauce, we’re doing rice balls, we’re doing pitsels ice cream sandwiches.”

From inside the truck, she talked through the small window facing the Mayfield Road customers, taking orders while talking of the cross-country food adventure that began five weeks ago.

“It’s extremely challenging,” she said. “The host Tyler Florence will throw challenges at us all the time so you never know what’s going to be coming every weekend, but I’m having the most amazing time.”

Nativo, Jaclyn Kolsby and Jessica Stambach, friends since childhood, make up the youngest of the eight teams cooking their way from Los Angeles to next week’s secret location.

The winning team will be awarded a food truck of their own. The show provided the truck each team uses in the competition. A TV production crew chronicles every stop on their trip.

Entering this weekend in Cleveland, only three teams remain in the contest. Teams move on in the challenge by selling more than their competitors.

“Two cities left, if we win Cleveland, we head to the finale,” the 28-year-old Nativo said.

They only discovered they were coming to Cleveland three days ago.

“Every city is a surprise, everything that happens to us every few hours is a surprise and we just take it as it comes and we work as a team and we’ve been doing really well, it’s got us this far,” Nativo said.

As their competition falls by the wayside, they know their goal is within reach.

“At this point, we’re not going home without our food truck,” she added.

Saturday, Nonna’s Kitchenette will be at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Gordon Square later in the day.