Food, “Truck” Yeah

The Kona Ice truck at the Second Saturday event for the Roosters Food Truck Yard. Photo by Blaine Hill.

The Kona Ice truck at the Second Saturday event for the Roosters Food Truck Yard. Photo by Blaine Hill.

A favorite memory from childhood is the sound of the ice cream truck coming up the street. Nothing was more exciting than the scramble for cash before the truck drove off. With the recent food truck trend, there are more trucks to get excited about as an adult.

Lubbock has 11 food trucks roaming the city throughout the week with various flavors onboard, according to Food Trucks In, with more coming as owners expand and new trucks start rolling.

Around a year ago, the Lubbock City Council passed an ordinance allowing food trucks to operate in the city and local vendors have taken advantage of it.

Jarvis Reyes owns Ya Makin Me Hungry, a Mediterranean food truck, and in June he started Rooster’s Food Truck Yard.

“It’s going to be something where you don’t have to just eat then leave or pack up and go to your truck or car,” Reyes said. “You can sit there and enjoy your food, then go play some games.”

Ya Makin' Me Hungry serves Mediterranean style food. Photo by Blaine Hill.

Ya Makin’ Me Hungry serves Mediterranean style food. Photo by Blaine Hill.

Reyes said he wanted to start the truck yard because he saw other cities with similar locations and wanted to bring that atmosphere to Lubbock.

Rooster’s Food Truck yard has an average of three trucks out every day for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they have an event every second Saturday of the month with six to eight trucks.

The second Saturday event is quite the occasion with free beer and popping live music. There are also a few non-food vendors that sell homemade goods.

Rooster's Truck Yard serves free beer each Second Saturday. Photo by Blaine Hill.

Rooster’s Truck Yard serves free beer each Second Saturday. Photo by Blaine Hill.

Jennifer Mayorga has been working with her mom for the past eight years on their food truck, La Picosita. She said she and Jarvis are typically at the food truck yard every day for lunchtime.

Her favorite part about owning a food truck is working with her mom.

“Me and my mom make a great team,” Mayorga said. “It’s been good.”

Josh and Albert Gutierrez also followed family ties into the food business. The brother’s family had a restaurant growing up.

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Shay Bond, a grad student at the Texas Tech Health and Science Center, enjoying a Ya’ Makin Me Hungry chicken pita. Photo by Blaine Hill.

The idea for their truck Now We Taco’N began when Josh Gutierrez stood in a food truck line that was over 50 people long for a nine dollar taco at a music festival.

“I thought, ‘Man these people are doing something right,'” Gutierrez said. “So I went home and I talked to pops and my brother and I told them we need to be mobile.”

The brothers agree they are living the dream and working at their food truck does not feel like work at all.

Reyes said he felt the same way, and that he loves the interaction with customers he gets through the food truck.

“At the end of the day, it’s them that I’m happy to see happy, and that’s the big pay out,” Reyes said.

About Blaine Hill

I am the community reporter and a Junior journalism major. I'm an avid book worm and I know how to make pies from scratch.