Popular Food-Truck-Monday Event Changes Hands

By GWENDOLYN WEILER

Moapa Valley Progress

Sixth-generation retailers Mark and Matt Hopkins, the owners of Ace Hardware in Overton, welcomed the Monti’s Smokehouse BBQ food truck onto the store’s parking lot on Monday, August 20. It was the truck’s first visit to Moapa Valley. But it was just one in a growing string of food trucks who are anxious to come visit the community.

Jean Gottschalk of Logandale first organized the weekly event back in March of this year. He coordinated it without being paid for his work, merely as a service to the community. However, the event formally changed hands this month, and the Hopkins brothers will now be managing the program—also free of charge.
“It’s a neat mix-up,” Mark said. “People are excited about something different and new.”

He added that the community has been a little stagnant because the loss of big employers such as the Reid Gardner Power Station in Moapa have created a bit of a downturn.
“There’s less businesses, and sometimes it’s just a little thing that kicks it up and gets things moving again,” Mark said.

Gottschalk recalled that it was difficult to get the first truck to come out to Overton, because most trucks require a financial guarantee of some kind. Eric Diavolo, the owner of the Italian food truck “Family Secret,” was the very first truck to take a chance on the idea. He said he was happy for the opportunity because he was a new truck owner and welcomed the exposure.

Diavolo said he’s come to the Valley three times now and has sold out of his meatballs every time, even after more than tripling the amount of food he brought with him. “Moapa loves my meatballs!” he added.
He reported that he sold about 200 plates of food on his first visit to the valley, which is well above the 100-plate minimum most trucks ask for.

Once word started to spread that it was worth the trip, other trucks were anxious to join the line-up, Gottschalk said.
“All those trucks that said, ‘No, we need a minimum,’ now they are asking, ‘When can we come out?’” Gottschalk said.

Over the past five months, Gottschalk has intentionally lined up as many different types of foods trucks as possible. “I was looking for foods that we don’t necessarily have here,” he said.
Some types of foods served have included Thai, Cajun, Italian, German curry sausage, BBQ, Mexican, Greek, Teriyaki, and Peruvian foods.

The food trucks are scheduled to come to the Ace Hardware parking lot every Monday through the lunch and dinner hours, unless otherwise announced.

Mark said he looks forward to expanding the program and occasionally inviting trucks to come on other days as well. “Just when it makes sense and it’s convenient for the food trucks, and as the community supports it,” he said.
The trucks and menus are advertised on social media each week.

Gottschalk said it’s been a pleasant surprise to see how well the trucks have been received. “People vote with their dollars,” he added. “The fact that so many people come out and eat here means that people want to. That validates everything.”