One Wichita food truck is closing on the same day another is opening
The food trucks come, and the food trucks go.
And this weekend in Wichita, one will have its last service on the same day another one makes its debut. The food truck scene is losing some New York-style street food but gaining some Hawaiian barbecue.
First, the departure: After two years in business, Greg Pianga is closing his truck called The Big Apple - NY Style Street Food Truck, which he opened in the summer of 2016. His final event will be at the South Side Food Truck Rally, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Pianga, who was inspired by the once-popular New York deli his mother ran in Wichita in the 1970s, partnered with her to run the truck. But she's had some health problems and can't take the long days in the heat, he said.
"We kind of decided it's probably good to shut it down and move on," said Pianga, who was the founder of the South Side Food Truck Rally. "Maybe I'll do a restaurant in the future, but right now, it's kind of on the back burner."
Pianga, who works part-time for a limo service, said he'll go back to working full time. He's already heard from several people wanting to buy the truck, he said.
Now for the new business: Mo's Hut, which bills itself as a Hawaiian bbq, will have its first outing on Saturday. It's not so much a truck but a trailer with a bright green canopy. Its slogan is "small place, big taste."
The truck serves marinated meats like barbecue chicken, chicken katsu, teriyaki beef and barbecue short rubs. It also has a loco moco, which is a hamburger patty topped with rice, brown gravy, two over-easy eggs and a side of macaroni salad. The owners hail from Oahu, Hawaii.
The truck's grand opening is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 445 N. Market, just a half a block from Riverfest activities.
Two food truck rallies this weekend
If the Riverfest isn't your scene, Wichita will have two food truck rallies this weekend.
One is the inaugural North Side Food Truck Rally, a new event organized by the U Hungry Truck and Hot-2-Trot Gourmet Hotdogs. It's from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight (Friday, June 1) at Aloft Wichita, 3642 N. Oliver. The trucks on the roster include the hosts plus Urban Skillet, Big Chill Ice Cream, Smokin Diner, Coco's Kitchen and Famos Foods.
The organizers hope to host the rally on the first Friday of each month.
Then, on Saturday, the monthly Southside Food Truck Rally that Pianga started happens from 11 to 4 at the Blood Orchard Market at 6346 S. Broadway. It will be The Big Apple's final outing.
This story was originally published June 1, 2018 at 11:48 AM with the headline "One Wichita food truck is closing on the same day another is opening."