Wichita business offering piled-high fries served California style earning a following
A new pop-up food business in Wichita specializes in piles of fries topped with all sorts of good stuff, and the owners have dreams of eventually opening their own stationary restaurant.
Travieso’s Food Company is a mobile pop-up eatery that started appearing in Wichita about two months ago. Its owners are Trevor Filson and Sunny Dao, who were dating long distance until Filson relocated from San Bernardino, California, to Dao’s hometown of Wichita a year ago.
The two now are building a business that offers fries with various toppings that remind the couple of late-night food Filson could get on the West Coast as well as of dishes they’ve sampled while traveling. Travieso’s staple dish is fries topped with chile verde and pork.
Their setup, which includes a pop-up tent, a grill and a table covered in surf stickers that Filson collected back home, has been a regular presence this summer at the Old Town Farm & Art Market, where the couple has been selling food from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday. They were also at Automobilia last month, and on Sunday, they were set up at the Shop & Grub Market at Naftzger Park. That’s where I saw them.
When they were finally together in Wichita, Filson and Dao decided to launch their food business. He worked in security but loves to cook. She has a background in the restaurant industry.
Filson said he’s been blown away by the support the business has received so far.
“A lot of people call me crazy for moving from California out here, but I can definitely say that this city is amazing with small businesses that are just starting,” he said. “I’ve never seen support like this. Back home, people always say, ‘Support small business,’ but they don’t follow through with it.”
The couple serves their chile verde fries, whose topping is made using Filson’s grandmother’s recipe, at every pop-up along with another specialty flavor like pastrami chili cheese or Portuguese chicken. (And speaking of Filson’s grandmother, the name of the business is inspired by the nickname she gave him: Traviesos, the Spanish word for naughty or mischievous.)
They also always have available their colorful signature drink they call Tretsle Water — basically homemade lemonade mixed with coconut milk and served in a pouch. The drink is named for Filson’s favorite surfing spot in California.
They’re experimenting with new toppings for their fries, too, and soon, they plan to introduce chicken Parmesan fries.
The couple is not quite sure when or where they’d open a storefront, but it’s in their plans, Filson said. For now, they’re building a following at various events around town. They’ll be back at the Old Town Farmers Market on Saturday morning, and on Aug. 28, they’ll be outside of Cabela’s at 2427 N. Greenwich. People can follow along with their schedule on their Facebook and Instagram pages.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 2:49 PM.
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