Alpena food trucks offer more options, help the community
Courtesy Photo Sherwood Pita Wagon serves Mediterranean food in Alpena. When it opened, owner Jessie Fischer said he often sold out of food and became popular quickly. She said next year it will have extended hours and an updated menu.
News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Hungry Hippie owner Greg Konwinski poses next to some of the artwork in the eating area of his current restaurant location Friday in Apena. Konwinski said he opened up the business as a food truck and is now popular enough to open a full-time restaurant.
News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Fred Badgero cooks some burgers in his food-truck called Fat Freddie’s in Alpena on Friday. Badgero said he intends to host more fundraisers to help people in the area who face unexpected tragedy.
Courtesy Photo Sherwood Pita Wagon serves Mediterranean food in Alpena. When it opened, owner Jessie Fischer said he often sold out of food and became popular quickly. She said next year it will have extended hours and an updated menu.
News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Hungry Hippie owner Greg Konwinski poses next to some of the artwork in the eating area of his current restaurant location Friday in Apena. Konwinski said he opened up the business as a food truck and is now popular enough to open a full-time restaurant.
News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Fred Badgero cooks some burgers in his food-truck called Fat Freddie’s in Alpena on Friday. Badgero said he intends to host more fundraisers to help people in the area who face unexpected tragedy.
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ALPENA -- People in Alpena have more options on where and what to eat thanks to the recent success of food trucks.
From common meals like hamburgers and french fries, to Mediterranean entrees, local food trucks are finding a niche in the culinary sector and becoming popular, especially during lunch hours when people have limited time to fill their bellies.
Jessie Fischer opened up her Sherwood Pita wagon late this summer, and almost instantaneously it began to sell out of its product because of the demand for the Mediterranean menu items.
She said she decided to open the business because she loves to cook, as does her husband, and it seemed logical for them to sell their kitchen creations. Fischer said there were some opening day jitters once the business opened, but they were quickly put to rest when their inventory became exhausted quickly every day.
"We were completely blown away by how many people wanted Mediterranean food and the healthy and homemade food we offer," she said.
The food trailer is in winter storage now, but Fischer said she is already planning for the spring when it returns.
"We will have some exciting things next year, including expanded hours, and an expanded menu," Fischer said. "Plus, we are just going to be more available to the public."
Fred Badgero and his son Scott Badgero own and operate Fat Freddie's. He purchased the food trailer this summer and it can be found around town with a line of people waiting for lunch.
The portable kitchen, he said, allows him to change location easily, and amend the menu to appease the cravings of his customers.
"People want different things, so it won't always be burgers," he said. "We could open tomorrow and have tacos. Whatever the people want, we'll try to do it."
Last week, Fat Freddie's participated in a fundraiser organized by the crew of the Alpena Muffler Man for a Hillman girl who was seriously injured in a car accident in Montmorency County. Fred Badgero said he will continue to hold events to raise money to help others who need money for emergencies, especially children.
"We are very community minded and we will do what it takes to help the people in the community," he said. "The way I look at it is if you give back, it will come back to you."
The Hungry Hippie owner Greg Konwinski started as a food truck in 2012 and he said things were tough at first because the idea of purchasing food from a truck or trailer was new in Alpena. He said as he learned more about the restaurant business, and with help from Fresh Palate owner Eric Peterson, he slowly began to grow his following and eventually purchased the old Dairy Queen on State Avenue. Now, it is a popular lunchtime destination for many people wanting something unique to eat.
Soon, Konwinski will open the new Hungry Hippie location on Ripley Boulevard, while still opening up the smaller one near the beach during the summer.
"Right now we're about 80-percent of the renovation so we should be opening by the end of November," he said. "That will be our full-time location, but we'll open the dome in the summer."
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that the crew of the Alpena Muffler Man organized the fundraiser in which Fat Freddie’s participated. That information was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.