Hungry crowds have been flocking to downtown Opelika on the first and third Fridays of the month for Food Truck Fridays.
“I don’t really see the whole scope of it, I can just feel the buzz inside the food truck,” said Rick Lanier, co-owner of Franky Junes Weeny Wagon.
From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, five food trucks will be parked along North Railroad Avenue and at O Town Ice Cream on Second Avenue, and four pop-up restaurants will be serving from local breweries.
The food trucks are Boar’s Breath, Drive-by Tacos, Bodega 1205, Las Latinas Food Trailer and Franky Junes Weeny Wagon.
“I’m excited to meet new people and just see people enjoy our food and give us feedback,” said Evelyn Ponce, owner of Las Latinas, which is making its third appearance at Food Truck Fridays.
She’ll be offering diners a choice of authentic birria tacos, chicken and beef empanadas and quesadillas.
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The pop-up restaurants will be Essie’s Sweet Treats, Dani’s Cheesecake, Hibachi on Wheels with Chef Eric, and Southern and Savory.
Southern and Savory will be inside Red Clay Brewery, offering hamburger steak, tuscan chicken alfredo and homemade banana pudding.
Kasha Moore, owner of Southern and Savory, said she loves to feed people and is looking forward to this Friday.
“This is an opportunity on an even larger scale to show love through cooking, through comfort food,” Moore said. “I’m just tickled pink about it.”
Essie’s Sweet Treats will also be serving from inside Red Clay Brewery, and Hibachi on Wheels will be set up in its back lot.
Dani’s Cheesecake will be serving from Whistle Stop Bottle and Brew.
If you’re looking for a new twist on an old classic, Franky Junes Weeny Wagon will be serving upscale hotdogs and tater tots.
“The city has really embraced us,” Lanier said. “I think the five or six food trucks that they bring in every week, it’s driving more and more business to the whole of downtown Opelika.”
Ali Rauch, president and CEO of Opelika Chamber, said the event started in February with the purpose of helping both food truck owners and local businesses.
She’s hoping the event becomes a year-round tradition for downtown Opelika, and there will be a vote at the first Opelika Council meeting in May to determine whether Food Truck Fridays will continue.
“If the crowds are any indication of it, I think we’re gonna stay,” Lanier said.
To be a part of Food Truck Fridays, trucks have to be a validated food truck partner in the city of Opelika, filling out an application on the Opelika Chamber of Commerce’s website and submitting their health permits.
The chamber will keep people updated on its Facebook page in the event of inclement weather.
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