By Moses Leos III
All it took was one trip down South Congress Avenue in Austin for Jack and Jerry Moncrief to fall in love with food trailers.
They now hope the trend of food trailers turns their new venture, 967 Food Trucks, into a social hub.
“We loved (food trailers) and we kept going back [to South Congress],” Moncrief said. “We thought, ‘why don’t we have something like that here?’ That’s what we’re looking to do.”
For Jerry, the process began two months ago. That’s when she started creating signs for her venture.
She plans to bring food trailers to a portion of a 46-acre piece of land she and her husband own. That property is next to the Kali-Kate Pavilion outside of Buda, which they also own.
Along with food trailers, Jerry aims to bring games, a volleyball court and a possible outdoor movie theater.
But her biggest goal was to diversify the food culture in the area. Bringing an array of different tastes was Jerry’s mindset.
“Food trailers are going to be great down there,” she said. “I think it’s going to pick up a lot of traffic.”
The prospect of having a dedicated area for food trucks generated some interest; Jerry said as many as ten to 12 people called her in the last two months.
One of those was Ivori Bunthanom, who recently moved into Hays County.
For Bunthanom, food is life. Cooking food for others to enjoy is what she calls her “therapy.”
But when she moved to Texas, Bunthanom felt opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant wasn’t the most prudent option.
Instead, she and her niece, Ruth Musbach, opted to open their first food truck, Thai 2 U. They plan to open shop in the 967 Food Truck Park.
For Bunthanom, opening a food truck gave her the chance to gain a barometer for the market of her business.
In addition, she said some start-up costs, such as hiring employees, could be avoided.
The prospect of finding success is an important element. But for Bunthanom, it was the chance to showcase her cuisine – authentic Thai food.
“Everyone is so passionate for their own food,” Bunthanom said. “That’s what [food truck operators] have in common.”
Opening a food trailer gives owners a chance to test the waters without a substantial investment. It’s something Vic Garcia, owner of Shugabee’s BBQ, has accomplished after two years of operation. Garcia recently moved Shugabees into the Painted Horse Pavilion parking lot.
He and his son, Vic, Jr., moved there “with the possibility of taking the pavilion and using it as a brick-and-mortar for Shugabees.”
“I got [into food trucks] to see if people like my food, instead of going into a brick-and-mortar and spending thousands of thousands of dollars,” Garcia said. “It’s one way to find out if you can cut the mustard and get after it.”
However, Garcia understands the challenges food trailers can bring. Visibility is an issue. Food safety and food truck rules within cities and counties also are a factor.
But the biggest are the high turnover rate, along with public perception.
“There is a lot of turnaround. There are a lot of trailers for sale,” Garcia said. “[People] think (success) will happen and everything will work out.
“And there is the fear [among the public] food trailers might not be as clean as a brick-and-mortar.”
Overall costs can also be a challenge for new food truck start-ups. Since August, Bunthanom and Musbach have spent $15,000 on their RV. That doesn’t include the cost to refurbish the interior to make their vehicle up to spec to become a food truck.
Bunthanom said opening a food truck is “almost the same” as the cost for starting a brick-and-mortar. She said those costs can go as high as six-figures in some instances.
However, the chance to become an anchor for 967 Food Trucks entices Bunthanom. The chance to make it a “destination place” for Buda and Kyle residents is her goal.
“I’ve always wanted to be here (in Central Texas). I hope to introduce something to where people ask for us,” Bunthanom said. “It’s just a matter of getting the word out.”
