Couple decides Wichita is better than Lawrence for starting their new waffle business
Back in 2014, a food truck called the Waffle Wagon operated in Wichita, and it served the most heavenly Liege waffles, which are sweet, crispy and baked with clumps of crunchy Belgian pearl sugar inside.
A few years later, the Waffle Wagon was gone, and so were the waffles.
But Wichita waffle fans will soon get to have them again thanks to a young couple who, impressed by Wichita’s active food scene, moved here from Lawrence a couple of weeks ago to start a business selling them.
Justin and Jenny Wade are the owners of Wade Waffle Co., a new food trailer that they plan to launch soon. The trailer is wrapped, ready and waiting in front of their house, and the couple hopes to have it open in a few weeks.
The Wades, who have two small children, will sell both sweet and savory Liege waffles for both breakfast and lunch. They plan several different flavors of the waffles, including regular, apple cinnamon and date coconut.
But the waffles also provide a good base for savory dishes, said Justin Wade, who worked as an apprentice in a few Lawrence restaurants before deciding to open the waffle truck.
“A waffle is a great canvas for anything savory, like rye waffles with pulled pork, Reuben-style,” he said. “There are so many directions you can go.”
Recently, the couple posted a picture of a sweet cornbread waffled dipped in gumbo, a dish they plan to serve once open.
Jenny is a graphic designer, and Justin worked in health care for about 10 years. But three years, ago, he decided to pursue his passion for culinary arts. He took an apprenticeship at Six Mile Chop House in Lawrence and also worked at Mass St. Fish House & Raw Bar.
The two have been planning the waffle business for about eight months, but the food truck scene in Lawrence isn’t very active, Justin said. They decided they’d need to move to either Kansas City, Topeka or Wichita if they wanted to succeed.
“We have some good friends who live here, so we started exploring the idea of Wichita,” Justin said. “We checked out the food truck scene and saw that it was budding and lively. We really fell in love with the city and the people. There’s a lot to love here.”
The Wades are still figuring out the food truck scene in Wichita but hope to be involved in rallies and set up at pop up parks.
I’ll keep you posted on opening day, but people can follow their progress on Facebook and Instagram.
This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 12:59 PM.
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