Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Interview with a food truck owner

By Felisha Bull
Texas State student and Central Texas foodie




Many people have been to what society deems a traditional restaurant.  It doesn't move around, it offers several courses and the wait staff makes sure drinks are always full.  But here in Central Texas, things are done a little differently.  

This little niche of Texas offers mobile food.  Literally, food that can travel around town and pop up where customers least expect it.  These mobile eateries are more commonly known as food trucks or food trailers and this is a glimpse into their typical day.

“It’s very time consuming,” said Eric, the 47-year-old owner of Hey! Are You Gonna Eat Or What?.  “I work about 80 hours per week.”

Eric spends every morning shopping and prepping for his 12 to 10 p.m. shifts of slicing, dicing and frying so he can serve the best possible meals to every one of his customers.

These long hours could be part of the reason they market their truck as “the rudest restaurant in Austin”, or it could be the fact that their social media reviews put their food on such a pedestal they can afford to be a little sassy.

“The single biggest factor in the success were the reviews on Yelp,” Eric said. People came and enjoyed his food so much that they quickly pushed him to the top of the food charts.


Much of Eric’s success can be attributed to his uncanny ability to describe exactly what his customers will be tasting.  It’s a trait that comes easily because almost everything is homemade, and it more than likely helped him win the grand prize at Austin’s Truck by Truck West.

Hey! Are You Gonna Eat or What? is rated the number one food truck in Austin, as well as the number three restaurant overall, according to their website.


Photography by Felisha Bull

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