A new food truck opens for business on the T. Anne Cleary Walkway.
By Addison Martin
Meal swipes can now get you tacos out of a food truck.
A brand-new University of Iowa Housing & Dining food truck opened its windows to students on Tuesday. The truck, located on the T. Anne Cleary Walkway, is a new way for the UI to reduce strain on the usual marketplaces and give students a quick and easy way to use their meal swipes.
“We’ve been talking about it for about two or three years now,” said Michael Graham, a chef with Housing & Dining. “Last year, when we saw the admission numbers and the number of extra students, it became a real solution to a problem.”
Although the black-and-yellow truck is brand-new and not nearly as large as the marketplaces in Burge and Hillcrest, it offers lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the busiest time for the two dining halls.
The process of purchasing the truck was relatively quick, Director of University Dining Jill Irvin said.
“When you buy these big pieces of equipment, you don’t buy these things already built,” she said. “These are custom-manufactured, so it just takes time.”
The food truck’s menu contains such items as tacos, sandwiches, and a vegetarian and vegan falafel wrap. This menu is specifically formulated to fit the timing and space requirements of a food truck and is open to changes, Irvin said.
“There are definitely things we can and can’t produce on the truck. You don’t want people standing around for half an hour waiting, so speed is something we worry about,” she said. “When you think about a menu, there isn’t tons of space, so these food trucks tend to have small menus because you just don’t have the space to support 20 different products.”
Despite a limited menu, options for all types of dietary restrictions are offered, and the cooks do their best to keep options fresh and healthy for customers, Graham said.
“We’re making our own chorizo, we’re making our own carnitas, we’re trying to do as much as we can really authentic and made from scratch,” Graham said, regarding the rotating taco options the truck provides for people on the go.
The truck also has a menu item that abides by vegan or vegetarian restrictions, regardless of dietary choices.
“The falafel we have is vegan and also vegetarian, and in my opinion, the best falafel you can find,” Irvin said.
The food truck will also offer gluten-free buns for all of its sandwiches, and is — notably for those who are allergic — a peanut-free environment.
Laura Croteau, a University Dining nutrition specialist, noted some of the problems that she sees regarding ease of access for students who eat gluten-free.
“I think that’s an issue with a lot of the retail locations when it comes to flex meals, and there’s work that needs to be done to get those types of things available for students,” she said.
The truck will stay on the Cleary Walkway and might only change location when the Madison Street residence hall opens up next year. For now, it’s adjusting to this new style of feeding students and happily receiving the positive feedback, Irvin said.
“We are really learning as we go,” Irvin said. “We’re excited we’re getting lots and lots of positive feedback, so that’s good. It’s just a matter of continuing to learn. We learn how to best use the truck and best serve the customers.”