The ‘Big Papa’ of Moapa Valley Food Trucks

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

There are many food trucks out there, serving up all kinds of great eats. But “The Papa” of Moapa Valley foodtrucks probably should go to Logandale resident Rik Eide.

Nearly 20 years ago, Eide started a barbecue truck that he called Great Basin Cooking Company. It was a big 35-foot trailer that he custom-built himself, equipped to deliver some of the best barbecue around. The menu included ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken and a whole lot of sides. He even has his own signature barbecue sauce brand called Papa Rik’s which is available for sale.

Word of this barbecue truck travelled fast and Eide got pretty busy. “At one time we had a contract with the Bureau of Land Management, with the Nevada National Guard and, for quite a while, we were listed in the Nevada Film Bureau Catering Guide,” Eide said. “At the height we were doing more than 60,000 meals a year.”

The big barbecue truck still can be seen making appearances at major events throughout the region; including every year at the Clark County Fair where it is considered a local staple.

But as time has passed, the food truck industry has gone through changes. And Eide has adapted. More recently, he has added two other food trucks to the Great Basin fleet.

One of these, called Papa Gyro, has been around for a several years now. It serves a lineup of tasty Mediterranean-themed favorites including gyro sandwiches, salads, Greek fries, and even authentic Chicago hot dogs.

Then last year, Eide opened his newest trailer which he calls Soda Papa. This vendor truck mixes countless custom soda drinks to order, and sells gourmet cookies.

Eide completely rebuilt and renovated a small retro-style 1953 travel trailer to become a mobile version of all those ‘drink and cookie’ joints that have become all the rage in recent years.
Soda Papas sports 14 different flavors of standard fountain soda including all Coca-Cola and Pepsi flavors. It also supplies 26 different flavors of add-in syrups, creamers, purees and more.

The trailer has 15 signature drinks with locally-inspired names like The Valley of Fire, Pomegranate Passion, Desert Drive, The Lake Mead and more.

“I joke around that, for The Lake Mead, we could just sell a 44 oz. cup for 5 bucks and the cup could just be empty,” Eide laughed, referring to the 20 year drought conditions at the lake.

In addition, the options for custom mix concoctions are nearly endless. “If you don’t see a combination on our menu that you want, we can make it for you,” Eide said. “I would say there has to be over 100,000 different drink combinations that could be created. When I was a kid we used to mix all the fountain drinks together and call it a ‘suicide.’ Well, we can make one that’ll really kill you.”

Of course, the truck also offers a wide variety of fresh cookies to go with the drinks. “We have parntered with Dutchman’s Cookies out of southern Utah,” Eide said. “They were the original cookie maker. He supplies cookies throughout all of Utah and most of southern Nevada with a reputation of just being the best cookie you can eat.”

Most of the time, Soda Papas is parked at its customary spot in front of Logandale Storage at 3525 N. Moapa Valley Blvd.
“Our business model with Soda Papas is that 90 percent of the time we will be in the same spot,” Eide said. “That doesn’t mean we won’t take it to events from time to time. But most of the time folks will know it will be right there. That way, when you get our refillable drink cup from Soda Papas, you know where to go to get it filled.”

Soda Papas refillable mugs are available for $20. They each come with a cookie and can be refilled for $2.50.

Great Basin has done a lot of business over the years. Eide estimates that, over his two decades in the business, his three trucks together have done close to a million transactions.

As one of the first modern foodtruck vendors in town, Eide knows a thing or two about the ins and outs of running a food truck. And he isn’t at all hesitant about imparting some of that knowledge and experience to people who are looking to open competing food trucks in town.

“When people are trying to get into the food truck business, if they call me and talk to me, I have brought them in to my office and told them the truth about it,” Eide said. “I am always willing to do that and I think it has helped a few people get started with excellent operations here in the valley.”

Another way that Eide has imparted his experience to others is through his workforce. He mainly hires local teenagers to man his food trucks.
“I think that between me and the Parks and Rec Department, we might be the largest employer of youth in the valley,” Eide said. “For example, at the Fair I usually have between 15 and 22 kids working for me with the week’s payroll of seven to eight thousand dollars. And I keep five or six of those kids working at different events all year long. It gives them an opportunity to learn business skills; and some of them take that opportunity and magnify it.”

Eide said that he has employed entire families of kids over the years from the eldest to the youngest. “I have had every kid in a family work for me from the time that each were in 9th grade until they graduated; and some of them come back during college breaks.”

And it isn’t too uncommon for some of these alumni to appear in front of his food truck as adults and introduce Rik to their wife and new baby.

Eide has also been closely involved in the community. He has served thousands of meals for the Junior Livestock show. He worked together with the late Dennis Freeman, cooking a huge pit barbecue for the entire community during the July 4th celebration. He served terms on the Moapa Valley Town Board, has been involved with Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club, and founded a Fall Bluegrass Festival event which took place each October for three years.

“This is a great community and it is an honor to be a part of it,” Eide said. “This business was conceived locally and was built locally. It isn’t someone coming in from Vegas or coming in as a franchise from somewhere else. We own it. We have been here to support the community as the community has supported us. It is a community endeavor.”