One of Wichita’s longest running food trucks is about to get an (almost) identical twin
Funky Monkey Munchies is one of Wichita’s oldest established food trucks.
And now, that truck — nicknamed Jorge — is about to get a twin.
Lisa Palacios and her husband, Eddi, have just announced plans to open a second food truck, which they’ll call Cousin Hector’s. They hope to have it up and running by early March, offering a menu of “Mexican-American fusion” dishes, Lisa said.
The couple, who launched Funky Monkey Munchies in 2014 serving an Asian/Latin fusion menu, had long wanted to add a second truck, Lisa said. They were set up and serving at a concert at the WaterWalk when a man approached them saying he knew of a truck that was available that looked exactly like theirs. Were they interested?
Lisa had gotten her first rig — a vintage 1972 Ford Vignette bus that had once been used as a John Deere tractor delivery truck — as an anniversary present. The bus, with its flat front and curved roof, had a unique look that made it easy to identify. The idea of having a matching set appealed to her.
The man returned six months later and told the couple he had his hands on the bus if they wanted it. This one was a 1970 model and had once been a milk truck. They bought it about a year ago and have been working since then to build it into a self-contained food truck.
Lisa said that Cousin Hector’s — whose name is an ode to Eddi’s late father — will serve things like quesadilla burgers, cheeseburger tacos and Chicano fries. She’s working to firm up the menu now. The couple, who usually work together on Funky Monkey Munchies, will split their time, with Eddi manning the original truck and Lisa on the new one.
It’ll be the couple’s third big food venture in Wichita. In October, they also took over a food service kiosk at McConnell Air Force Base selling Mexican-American dishes. It’s called Jorge’s.
Lisa, who is the organizer of the long running Night at the Fountains food truck rally that happened pre-COVID at the Wichita WaterWalk, said she’s hopeful that the city will allow food trucks to get entertainment licenses this year so they can start resume offering outdoor food truck rallies The city stopped issuing the required licenses at the start of COVID-19, and food truck gatherings didn’t happen at all last year.
Those who want to keep up with the new truck’s schedule once it launches can follow its Facebook page.
This story was originally published February 18, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
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