Volume One hosted the popular Food Truck Friday starting this week on May 3. The event encourages those participating to stop by for both lunch and dinner, due to the timing of the event.

Dubbed the “Monthly Mobile Food Party,” this event hosts multiple food trucks in Phoenix Park during the first Friday of the month from 11a.m. to 7p.m.

The event has run for several years, and is positioned near Eau Claire’s downtown area for maximum exposure. 

Each Friday hosts 10 food trucks, some of which are rotated while others have a more permanent position. 

Some of the food trucks for the opening event included iPeriogi, Ramones Ice Cream, Big Papa BBQ and Dhimiters. The extensive list of food trucks available can be found here. 

Despite the cloudy and rainy weather, the street was still busy with people lining up to get food from the local vendors. Many came with their families or friends to enjoy the food. 

Damien Duncan is one of the cooks from Island Vibe, a Caribbean centered food truck based in the Eau Claire area. 

Duncan spoke about the turnout and how good these events can be for business. “We are almost sold out… we have some loyal customers.” 

This is Island Vibes’ third year at this event. “That’s the beauty of it. You have your local customers and then you have people from word of mouth.” said Duncan.

Outside of this event, Duncan and other food truck workers travel through the Chippewa Valley to find festivals and fairs to sell their goods during the warmer months. 

Visit Eau Claire labeled this event as one of the top things to do during the summer in the city of Eau Claire, showing videos of families enjoying the outdoor eats.  

Many community members came out to support local businesses and enjoy good food. Scout McNight and his roommates came down to enjoy the food despite the rain. 

“I think I came to (this event) the last day in the fall last semester… My roommate is really big into food in the area so we were like, ‘were all free on friday lets go again.’” McNight said. 

Of the available foods to try, this group chose Perogis, Gyros and the Cheesy Boys stand. 

Ramone’s, a popular local ice cream shop a few blocks up from Phoenix Park, had their own stand out as well. Brendan Kolehmainen spoke about working the truck and the impact on the shop. 

“The turnout is normally super great when it’s not raining, unfortunately for today. I know last summer the reason we were super stoked for it to start was because we had so much success.” Said Kolehmainen. 

When asked about the success of the event and how it helps food trucks in the area, Kolehemainen had this to say. 

“I think just getting in front of people and the whole experience of all the tastes and all the smells all in one spot, I think it’s great” Kolehmainen said. 

Brandel can be reached at [email protected].