Food trucks holding pop-up in downtown Copperas Cove

By BRITTANY FHOLER 

Cove Leader-Press 

Three local food trucks - The Reef, Sticky Fingas BBQ and Catering and Mama Lama Mobile Kitchen – are joining together on Saturday for a Food Truck Pop Up, at 201 S. 2nd St. in downtown Copperas Cove. 

Bob Jericho, owner of The Reef Food Truck, recently teamed up with Mama Lama Mobile Kitchen last Saturday, and has set up at Camp Caylor previously as well as at the city’s Farmer’s Market each Thursday. 

Although he hadn’t signed up to be a vendor at the now cancelled Food Truck Festival, Jericho had signed up for the Kite Festival, which was scheduled for this Saturday and ended up being cancelled as well. 

Jericho said he wants to see a food truck park in the city. 

Then, during recent discussions of an unrelated topic with Diane Drussell, assistant director of the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation, Jericho found out about the location at S. 2nd Street and determined it would be perfect for the Food Truck Pop Up. 

The downtown property is a vacant lot and owned by the CCEDC. 

“I want to see something like that where the food trucks are embraced in the city, and I think they are,” Jericho said. “It’s just that they’re not out there a lot. I want something where people could go out especially with what’s going on right now and just somewhere that it’s open where there’s a lot of seating, and the tables don’t have to be close but somewhere safe and somewhere fun. Just to get out of the house instead of being clustered in a building - go out and just enjoy.”

After his discussion with Drussell, Jericho reached out to the owners of Sticky Fingas and Mama Lama about the pop up. 

“We’re going to start off small and then once when we do it next, invite a couple other trucks, focusing on the trucks here in Cove, and then go from there and see how it goes,” Jericho said. 

The plan is to hold these Food Truck Pop Ups every other weekend, pending any circumstances. 

“It gives me the opportunity to be out there, and not just me but the other food trucks, and it

People will get the chance to try different cuisines and eats from the three food trucks, all in one location. 

Mama Lama Mobile Kitchen serves gyros, shawarma, falafel, hummus, kabobs, barbacoa and carnitas as well as sweet treats. 

Sticky Fingas BBQ serves brisket and pulled pork and turkey legs and sausage wraps as well as nachos and a cowboy Frito pie. 

The Reef will have smoothies full of real fruit, and coffee frappes, which can be made with extra protein. The Reef also serves grilled cheese sandwiches, from regular cheese to turkey, bacon, ham or steak grilled cheese.

gives the opportunity for people in this area to go out and do something,” Jericho said. 

Hand sanitizer will be available at each truck, and people are encouraged to wear a mask or face covering in compliance with state and local rules. Jericho said this outdoor environment will allow people to come and go and more easily maintain their distance from others as well. 

“I just hope that this turns out to be a success, the first one at least, and something that the residents in the community here will embrace,” he added. 

Since making the event post on Facebook, Jericho said the response has been overwhelming. 

“It’s been nothing short of amazing and positive feedback,” Jericho said. “I hope that the city is hungry for something like this to happen and that the small business community would rally around it and support it and to just bring something here to the city where we can hopefully get together and make it something more of a tradition here.”

The three food trucks will be at 201 S. 2nd St., on the corner of West Avenue D, where the Farmer’s Markets are held every Thursday. The pop up will last from 10 a.m. until food is sold out, or until 4 p.m.