By Liz Biro | Wilmington Biz
Some Wilmington food truck operators, including a new set of wheels hitting the road in March, have united to create a commissary from which they may all work.
Blount’s Street Bistro, which rolls out international street food in March, joins Poor Piggy’s BBQ, Chicken, Ribs and The Patty Wagon burger truck at the former Dinner A-Go-Go meal preparation store, 5424 Oleander Dr., Suite 1, said Blount’s Street partner Paul Kern.
The commissary idea began with Poor Piggy’s owner Ed Coulbourn, who pursued the Dinner A-Go-Go location for the group kitchen, Kern said. Dinner A-Go-Go operated briefly in the early 2000s. At the time, such shops where home cooks could prep meals with which to fill their refrigerators popped up all over the country.
Wilmington city rules require food truck operators to work from brick-and-mortar kitchens, a mandate challenging food truck operators.
“That was the main reason the commissary got started,” Kern explained. “You could have a truck in Wilmington as long as you have a kitchen attached. Now what restaurant [owner] is going to allow you to work in their restaurant, take up space in their kitchen to just let you be competition?”
Kern and business partner William Blount Laughinghouse, who met while attending Cape Fear Community College’s culinary school, are considering potential stops for their truck, which will serve dishes such as savory turnovers and Italian rice balls named arancini. Follow their progress at Blount’s Street Bisto’s Twitter feed and Facebook page.
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