LITTLE ROCK — If you drive it — and cook it — they will come.
Or so the organizers of the first Main Street Food Truck Festival in Little Rock, to be held Saturday downtown on a blocked-off area of guess what street (between the area of Third and Seventh streets) are hoping.
The free festival, taking place from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., will feature a variety of Arkansas mobile vendors selling food, including Green Cuisine, Hot Dog Mike, Lewis & Edna’s Mobile Kitchen, Dream Eats Cafe Mobile Food, Pierre’s Gourmet Pizza, Papa’s Burgers & Dogs, Banana Leaf, Grills on Wheels, Peace Hog Mobile Cafe, Christians Take-Out Too, Luncheria Mexicana Alicia, Wishbone’s and Kristina’s Hawaiian Ice. No cash will be accepted at vendor sites. Using a procedure similar to Riverfest, visitors will buy food tickets ($1 each) that they then exchange for tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs and more.
Lori Moore, owner of Green Cuisine, Little Rock’s only vegetarian truck, says she’s looking forward to participating as a vendor — and a visitor.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to show people we can be a big draw,” she says. “There’s a lot of food trucks I’ve never been to. I think it will be fun to try all different kinds of foods.”
“Different,” says Downtown Little Rock Partnership executive director Sharon Priest, is exactly what appealed to the organization’s Main Street Revitalization Committee about the food truck idea.
“If you think about it, it’s a whole other look at fast food, and we certainly seem to be into fast,” Priest says about the national food truck trend. “It’s fun, it’s different, and people think it’s really neat.”
Moore, who says she has been in the food business “all my life,” and worked as the catering manager at Moe’s Southwest Grill, last year opened her business, which sells specialties like Chipotle Pineapple and Black Bean Quesadillas and Philly Cheese Portobello Subs at the corner of Sixth and Chester streets, when she couldn’t find a suitable restaurant space. Her business was nominated, but was not chosen, for the Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race.
“There’s less overhead than with a restaurant, and that’s what stops people from becoming restaurateurs,” she says about the advantage of going mobile. “It’s a cheaper option; it gives people an opportunity to go out and show what they want to do.”
As for food truck clientele, Moore says, they value the simplicity.
“It’s more casual,” she says. “You can just walk up; if you want to sit there you can. And it’s a little less costly.”
The event also will feature Jeff Cage of 100.3 The Edge broadcasting live and hosting a Hula-Hoop contest (preferably before the eating). Entertainment will be provided by Crooked Roots, Monkhouse, the Justin Bank Band, Fire & Brimstone, DJ Dylan, Porter’s Jazz and Underclaire.
Attendees will select their favorite food truck. The winner will receive a trophy and a featured photo and mention in the annual magazine Exploring Downtown Little Rock.
The same prizes will also be awarded to the winner of the “Lil’ Gaggers” contest — each truck has been challenged to come up with a delectable delight featuring Brussels sprouts.
Main Street Food
Truck Festival
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Main Street (downtown from Third to Seventh streets), Little Rock
Admission: Free (but the food is not)
(501) 375-0121
Weekend, Pages 40 on 09/29/2011