May 24, 2021
By Judy Mottl Food Truck Operator
How many trucks do you operate under this brand? 1
Do you operate brink-and-mortar locations under this brand as well? No
How did you come up with the name?
The name is the franchise name. Haslet is sort of the center of the area we serve. We serve Haslet, Justin, Saginaw, Blue Mound and the northwest Fort Worth area.
What prompted you to start a food truck?
I had been laid off from work and was struggling to find employment, Then COVID-19 hit. After interviewing for what was basically my dream job and thinking that I had the job, I did not get it.
I have found that no one wants to hire someone my age for three reasons, It is cheaper to hire a younger person because of health insurance, they “assume” my starting wage will be too high because of my experience, and because I do not have a college degree.
After that I decided it was time to make my own money. I went looking for businesses to start up and landed with Frios Gourmet Pops and another dessert company that has been around awhile. My wife and I went to a Frios Pops store in Keller and tasted the product, at which point my wife stated “go for it.”
The rest is now history as we signed with Frios Gourmet Pops and decided that we wanted to be mobile and sell in the neighborhoods and events.
What’s on your food truck menu?
Our menu is very simply Frios Gourmet Pops. While some of the popsicles go in and out of season, we have several that remain year round so that you can be sure to get a favorite when we come by.
Do you make all the food on the truck or do you use home-based kitchen or commissary space?
The pops are hand made in our corporate headquarters in Mobile, Alabama then shipped on dry ice to us on a weekly basis to ensure freshness.
What’s the best part of being a food truck operator?
The best part is being our own boss. We get to pick where and when we go. We do not have to get up with an alarm clock (most days that is LOL). And then there is the serving popsicles aspect. There is nothing more enjoyable than the kids hearing the music and then seeing the van turn the corner, it never gets old.
What’s the worst part of operating a food truck?
Thankfully so far the only thing I can say is the worst part, is trying to navigate the path through each different city in our territory to ensure we have the correct permitting. Each city has different rule and regulations.]
What lessons have you learned since launching the truck?
Be flexible, have patience, keep a good calendar of where you have been and are going.
Is there anything you would have done differently at the start?
Yes, do it sooner.
Any tips/advice to others thinking of launching a food truck?
The best advice I can give is to investigate and understand the permitting processes of the areas you will be covering. Go into it with an open mindset and remember to be positive with everyone you encounter, say yes to everything even when it’s a no. There is salesmanship involved with saying no in a positive way.
Do you have any anecdotes about running a food truck?
The best thing about running a “Frios Gourmet Pops” food truck is that once people taste our product, they become very loyal. They want more pops.
Case in point, I drive approximately two to three mph when going through the neighborhoods, as we do not want to miss anyone that wants our popsicles. We actually have a picture that a wife took of her husband running after us flagging us down because he wanted his pops. (She posted the picture on Facebook LOL) We love our customers.