If your stomach growls as you drive by Flint Hills Mall on Saturday, blame it on Food-A-Palooza, the twice-yearly food truck rally. He was joined by seven vendors for his eighth annual spring event at the mall.
Crowds strolled the alley of food trucks lining the west side of the parking lot, checking out options ranging from barbecue to fair favorites to Peruvian specialties. Flint Hills Mall General Manager Clarence Fry said he is pleased that Food-A-Palooza has become a staple event in the community.
“We started this after COVID-19 and it's still growing. We're happy to see repeat customers mixed in with new customers. Because it means we have people coming back,” he said.
The food truck lineup included two first-time openings: Tumi Peruvian Food and Granny's Sweets and Eats. Tumi drew a crowd to sample its menu of traditional Peruvian cuisine.
Gayla Rangel is the owner of Granny's, a former restaurateur's new venture. Cottonwood previously owned and operated Good She Times in Falls, which closed in December 2022. Rangel, known for her homemade ice cream, opened her Food Her truck earlier this month and officially unveiled it at Emporia's Cinco Her De Her Mayo Gala.
“We’re having a great day,” she said between serving ice cream and shaved ice. “I like this [the food truck] Go to different places and meet different people. ”
Doug Henry is back aboard his food truck, Hogman's BBQ, for the first time in over a year. Henry is a retired pig farmer and comes from a family of good cooks.
“I'm one of eight children. My mother is a great cook and one of my sisters owns a catering company in Seneca,” he says. “I love cooking delicious food, I love meeting people, and I love being self-employed, so this job is perfect for me.”
Waverly-based Hogman's can often be found in Coffey County, throwing up pulled pork sandwiches, cheesy fries, and the shop's signature BBQ sundaes.
“It's a mix of cheesy potatoes, baked beans and pulled pork,” Henry explained. “When I started experimenting, I thought, 'Who would want to eat something so gross?' But it became a bestseller. The flavor combination was just perfect.”
Other food trucks include Shelby's Snack Shack, KS Snack Shack #1 (burgers), KS Snack Shack #2 (chicken, fries, funnel cakes, fried Twinkies), and the ever-popular Lazy Butt BBQ It was.
The next Food-a-Palooza food truck rally will be held in September.