Page 19 - Indulge June/July 2016
P. 19
helle Cannon prepares an order of Irish
Nachos: the sisters’ homemade potato chips
covered in cheese, bacon, green onion and,
if you’re brave, jalapeños.
the counter ledge. Marge is open The Cannons are adept at changing up menu
for business, and it doesn’t take items to suit customer requests. They can make
long for customers to arrive. The many products gluten free, some vegan and customize
CitraSqueeze IPA Can release is almost anything.
bringing steady traffic.
Running a food truck isn’t easy, and when they told
“The food truck is a different their parents their plans, Frank Cannon says his reaction
kind of squeeze: a tight one.”Four was, “Oh my god, are you out of your mind?”
people are now standing practically shoulder-to-shoulder
in an area that’s about 8 feet long and just wide enough “But they really did their homework,” he continues.
to turn around in. Still, there’s plenty of good-natured “They did the market research, wrote a business plan …
banter being slung along with the food orders. Even when they did the whole thing, and that’s what convinced the
business picks up, the humor doesn’t run out. “You’ve got bank to loan them the money.”
to get along,” to work that closely all day, Frank tells me.
While the sisters say they’ve never encountered it,
At their busiest event so far, in Kutztown, the there’s a tired stereotype that food trucks are little more
Cannons estimate they served more than 200 people. “At than “roach coaches.” The evidence soundly contradicts
the end of the night,” Frank Cannon says, “we were like, it, says Tracey Mathews, owner of the Trixie's Treats truck
‘holy crap … what did we get ourselves into?’ ” and founder of the Greater Lehigh Valley Mobile Food
Alliance. In 2014, an independent study found food
Thanks to the rain, this Hijinx outing doesn’t come close, trucks in seven major cities were as clean or cleaner than
but it’s busy enough to keep the family on their toes. At one traditional restaurants.
point, Emily yells out an order that makes me chuckle: “Full
pesto turkey … but no pesto, no onion, no tomato … just “The trucks, unlike a brick and mortar, are inspected
turkey, cheese and lettuce. And red peppers.” multiple times throughout the season,” Mathews
says. They’re also subject to a stifling host of other
Frank Cannon grabs requirements. “In a matter of just five weeks …
some pork for a Funky to attend only three events, I will have filled out
Cubano, made with 13 forms, paid 11 fees totaling right around
Funk Brewing’s Citrus $3,000 and will be inspected four times.”
IPA, braised pork
shoulder, ham, Swiss Still, the challenges aren’t stopping
cheese, mustard and Matthews or the Cannons. “There are so
pickles, which all gets many other aspects of my job that I love
grilled and pressed and they outweigh this bothersome busywork,”
panini style. Matthews says. “I love the mobile concept of the
food truck industry. Being in business for myself
Photos by is great, but it’s even better to be able to take my
Patrick O'Donnell products to different areas, meet new people and
gain new fans.”
Nachos: the sisters’ homemade potato chips
covered in cheese, bacon, green onion and,
if you’re brave, jalapeños.
the counter ledge. Marge is open The Cannons are adept at changing up menu
for business, and it doesn’t take items to suit customer requests. They can make
long for customers to arrive. The many products gluten free, some vegan and customize
CitraSqueeze IPA Can release is almost anything.
bringing steady traffic.
Running a food truck isn’t easy, and when they told
“The food truck is a different their parents their plans, Frank Cannon says his reaction
kind of squeeze: a tight one.”Four was, “Oh my god, are you out of your mind?”
people are now standing practically shoulder-to-shoulder
in an area that’s about 8 feet long and just wide enough “But they really did their homework,” he continues.
to turn around in. Still, there’s plenty of good-natured “They did the market research, wrote a business plan …
banter being slung along with the food orders. Even when they did the whole thing, and that’s what convinced the
business picks up, the humor doesn’t run out. “You’ve got bank to loan them the money.”
to get along,” to work that closely all day, Frank tells me.
While the sisters say they’ve never encountered it,
At their busiest event so far, in Kutztown, the there’s a tired stereotype that food trucks are little more
Cannons estimate they served more than 200 people. “At than “roach coaches.” The evidence soundly contradicts
the end of the night,” Frank Cannon says, “we were like, it, says Tracey Mathews, owner of the Trixie's Treats truck
‘holy crap … what did we get ourselves into?’ ” and founder of the Greater Lehigh Valley Mobile Food
Alliance. In 2014, an independent study found food
Thanks to the rain, this Hijinx outing doesn’t come close, trucks in seven major cities were as clean or cleaner than
but it’s busy enough to keep the family on their toes. At one traditional restaurants.
point, Emily yells out an order that makes me chuckle: “Full
pesto turkey … but no pesto, no onion, no tomato … just “The trucks, unlike a brick and mortar, are inspected
turkey, cheese and lettuce. And red peppers.” multiple times throughout the season,” Mathews
says. They’re also subject to a stifling host of other
Frank Cannon grabs requirements. “In a matter of just five weeks …
some pork for a Funky to attend only three events, I will have filled out
Cubano, made with 13 forms, paid 11 fees totaling right around
Funk Brewing’s Citrus $3,000 and will be inspected four times.”
IPA, braised pork
shoulder, ham, Swiss Still, the challenges aren’t stopping
cheese, mustard and Matthews or the Cannons. “There are so
pickles, which all gets many other aspects of my job that I love
grilled and pressed and they outweigh this bothersome busywork,”
panini style. Matthews says. “I love the mobile concept of the
food truck industry. Being in business for myself
Photos by is great, but it’s even better to be able to take my
Patrick O'Donnell products to different areas, meet new people and
gain new fans.”
