Desert Breeze event launches food truck series

The inaugural Food Truck Frenzy Community Parking Lot Takeover on Tuesday was more like a partial occupation, but that didn’t seem to matter to those chowing down on food from Hot Diggity Dog and Spoon-a-Bowl.

Mark O’Neill said he read about the event online and stopped by because it was close to his house.

“I thought there would be more than the two right here,” O’Neill said of the two trucks at Desert Breeze Community Center. Spoon-a-Bowl owner Jonathan Bradley said a third truck had been scheduled but canceled at the last minute. Still, O’Neill said he welcomed the chance for a bit of a foray.

“I haven’t been really getting out much” during the coronavirus pandemic, he said. “I’m venturing out more.”

The event, sponsored by Clark County Parks and Recreation and Food Truck Frenzy, which organizes such outings, was the first of four planned this week. It followed anti-coronavirus guidelines for social distancing, and no on-site dining was available. All of the workers and most of the customers wore face coverings.

Ivy Malacas was ordering at Hot Diggity Dog with her children, Ari, 11, and Link, 9. She said she had stopped to vote at the nearby community center and walked over with the kids when she saw the trucks.

“We’ve been going out, but it’s nice to actually see the food trucks out,” Malacas said.

That’s a sentiment no doubt shared by Gene Gunnels, the Hot Diggity Dog truck’s owner and a veteran of 10 years in the business. Gunnels said he normally takes his truck to First Fridays, festivals and schools.

“April is our moneymaker for the year because of all the festivals,” Gunnels said “And then they shut all the festivals down. It’s been piecing things together.”

He said he’ll be at an event Monday at Sunset Park and has taken his truck to some events at Smith’s stores.

“It’s kind of saved our neck,” he said. “We’re working three times as hard for one-third the money.”

Gunnels said he was told the event was prompted by the nearby voting location, which brought in not only voters but those who were there for other reasons. Sarah Rodimer was campaigning for her father, Dan Rodimer, who’s running for Congress. They were passing out hot dogs of their own, and bottled water for people waiting to vote.

“I knew there’d be a long line,” she said.

At Spoon-a-Bowl, which sells handmade ice cream and frozen yogurt in flavors that on Tuesday included pineapple and mango, Bradley said he was breaking out of his mold a bit because he normally takes his truck to parks in Henderson. After he was invited to the Tuesday event, “We jumped on the opportunity,” he said.

As for O’Neill, he said he normally dines out frequently but hadn’t since the shutdown and reopening that followed. He said he’s recently been sticking to takeout and al fresco dining, so the food truck event fit the bill, and he planned to attend more.

“If only they had a sushi place with outside seating,” he said.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.