Not many years ago, most people considered food trucks to be little more than mobile versions of high school football concession stands. The menu fare was typically overpriced and sparce, containing only minimal basics such as hamburgers, hotdogs, popcorn and soft drinks.
Fortunately, those days are gone.
Today’s food trucks are rolling culinary marvels, offering tasty treats that are sure to delight any hardcore foodie. From spicy barbecue to vegan delicacies to fresh lobster, local food truck vendors have established themselves as real alternatives to traditional brick and mortar eateries. Many of the prominent truck operators have built up large followings of customers who routinely follow them from site to site throughout each year.
In recognition of this phenomenon, Hendersonville hosted the inaugural Middle Tennessee Food Truck Festival at Veterans Park on Saturday evening, Aug. 17. During the event, the air was filled with the lush, sweet aromas of fresh cuts of meat and locally grown vegetables being grilled to perfection. Twenty-one of the area’s finest food truck vendors were on hand serving up delicious entrees, sides and desserts to a large crowd of hungry diners.
The festival was the idea of local businessman Jake Kearney, the co-owner of Frosted Luau, an upscale mobile dessert business that specializes in fruit-flavored soft serve ice cream and sorbet. Since 2022, Frosted Luau has become a staple at events all around the region. During that time, Kearney has noted how hard his fellow food truck operators worked, as well as their commitment to providing outstanding food and customer service.
“Early this year, I decided that I wanted to create an event that would showcase the best food truck operators in Middle Tennessee,” said Kearney. “I wanted to give them an opportunity to get recognition for everything they do.”
As a result, Kearney and his team partnered with the Hendersonville Parks & Recreation Department, CheerVille and several other sponsors to create the city’s first food truck festival. Over 1,000 people attended the event to sample the outdoor fare and to support their favorite food truck vendors. In addition, most of the diners brought canned food items which were donated to Feed Sumner.
At the end of the festival, Kearney gave out awards honoring the “best of show” in several categories. The victors included Andre’s Barbecue – Middle Tennessee’s Top Food Truck and Top BBQ Truck, the Tennessee Cobbler Co. – Top Comfort Food Truck, Mason’s Hotdogs – Top Sandwich Truck and Vansauwa’s Tacos and Vegan Eats – Top International Truck.