By Jenni Whalen
Contributing Writer
Food trucks are one of the latest fads in food preparation and this semester, the University is jumping on board, planning for its own to arrive on campus in February. Named “The Flying Bison”, the truck will be open for business before the semester ends, weather permitting. Three years ago John Cummins, general manager of resident dining, and David Freeland, resident district manager of Parkhurst Dining Services, were inspired by the growing trend of food trucks. This year, their dream of bringing a food truck to campus is becoming a reality.
“I think the food truck is a great idea. I wish us seniors were around to see more of it. I wish we’d had this as freshman,” said Daina Allison ’12.
After the University approved the idea, executive members of Bucknell Dining Services traveled all over the United States to visit famous food trucks. The team then purchased a linen truck in Wisconsin and had the truck shipped to southern California, where is it currently being rebuilt as a food truck. Freeland, the primary designer of the truck, says he put a lot of thought into the design of the kitchen.
“It’s important that there is flexibility in the equipment because that will allow more menu choices,” Freeland said in an interview this week.
The truck will contain a grill, two fryers, a broiler, hot wells for soup, refrigerators and freezers, and it will be air conditioned.
“The food truck will not be a rolling Bison,” Freeland said.
It will have breakfast, lunch and late night offerings. The truck will likely travel to a few select locations for breakfast and will serve innovative breakfast sandwiches as well as various other options. At lunchtime, it will stop at three locations on a rotating basis, and the menu will rotate approximately every two weeks. The truck will potentially be open from midnight – 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights for students returning from fraternities and downtown social events.
“This will be great for quick food between classes or when you’re uphill at the library on a long night,” said Alex Clayton ’12.
Dining Services says that it will need to experiment on the location of the truck and that this may change depending on the time of year.
“I say the success of this depends on where they put it and what they offer,” said Lauren Hall, University alum.
The truck will take cash and BUID (both Dining Dollars and Campus Dollars).
“We’re not going to have all of the options that the Bison has,” Freeland said. “But the idea is that we will specialize in certain menu items and they will be fresh and tasty. The truck will be a destination station–-you’ll go because you really want what is being offered.”
This semester, Dining Services also plans to implement a new online feedback system for Bostwick Marketplace which will include QR codes and online surveys about what menu items students enjoy most. The wall of cereal has also been completely redone, and the Bison boasts an expanded Fresh Mexican station and a new rotisserie option at the pizza station.