Article
Accolades as a consultant just weren't enough
Serving as a consultant and running someone else's business didn't fully satisfy Edward Tallman's creative drive. A chef at heart, he loves to delight people with his culinary skills. So he created his very own food truck.
September 16, 2019 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times
Part two in a two-part series.
One thing that Edward Tallman has learned about operating a food truck is that there is always more to learn. While he has long enjoyed a reputation for his food truck expertise — as described in part one of his two-part series — he is one of the more humble food truck owners one will meet.
After moving to Las Vegas from western New York State in 2013, as a certified and well seasoned chef, Tallman gained enough experience managing food trucks to win a coveted role as a food truck coordinator for Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race."
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| Tallman replaced much of the kitchen in his used truck. |
But being a consultant and running someone else's business (he oversaw Culinary Logic LLC's four food trucks and a food truck commissary) didn't fully satisfy Tallman's creative drive. A chef at heart, Tallman loves to delight people with his culinary skills.
"I wanted something that was mine," he told Food Truck Operator. "I just felt like it's either now or never." So in the past month, he gave up his full-time position managing Culinary Logic LLC — which operates four food trucks and a 6,000-square-foot commissary in Henderson, Nevada, a Las Vegas suburb — to pursue his dream of having his own food truck.
Little did he know that despite his extensive experience, he still had much to learn.
A new set of challenges
Once he acquired his truck and completed his health inspections, he went from commissary manager to commissary tenant.
And while he had the "inside scoop" on the four trucks he no longer manages — Ben's BBQ and Smokehouse, Sin City Wings, Sin City Pizza and Slidin' Thru — Tallman is quick to point out that his menu is unique and the Las Vegas food truck community is one of camaraderie rather than adversary. His former employer and co-workers have been fully supportive of his truck, El Queso Guero.
"It felt good to have the support from people," he said.
One of his former employers, David Hauser, helped him out by donating a 1983 Chevrolet food truck. "He's very successful himself, but he wants to see other people succeed," Tallman said of Hauser, an entrepreneur and investor who is best known as the co-founder of Grasshopper Group, a virtual telephone service.
The truck takes shape
Tallman updated the truck with new sinks, drain boards, an updated fire suppression system, a cold plate with condenser and new exterior wrap.
Cognizant of the popularity of Spanish cuisine in Las Vegas, Tallman launched El Queso Guero, which means "cheesy white guy," featuring Spanish fare with a unique twist. "I took everything I love about Mexican cuisine and I put my spin on it," he said. "I took it to a whole new level."
Instead of carnitas, he has smoked pork. A chicken dish includes tomatoes, onions, cumin, stewed chicken juice and rice. He hand makes green and red salsas. His best seller, Gringo Nachos, has tater tots instead of tortillas. "Who doesn't love tater tots?" he asks.
A local graphics company created a colorful wrap with a big cartoonish version of his face that graces the side of his truck.
The new reality
And while Tallman had fun creating El Queso Guero, he quickly learned the differences between owning and managing a food truck.
"Getting it booked is the hardest thing to do with a food truck," he said.
His first "First Friday Las Vegas" did not go as well as he hoped. Sales were below his expectations. "That was a humbling experience," he said.
Another event only attracted a fifth of the 1,000 attendees he was led to believe would show up, resulting in a significant loss.
The First Friday event manager advised him that his truck was not sufficiently illuminated. Heeding this advice, he installed lights along full length of the truck, as a well as a video screen with a scrolling menu. The lights alternate the colors of yellow, green, red and blue. He also installed a stereo.
"It made a big difference," he said.
And thanks to his reputation in the Las Vegas food truck scene, and the overwhelmingly positive reaction to his food, event managers sought him out. In the few weeks he's been in business, Tallman has been able to serve guests with only one part-time employee.
He makes it a point to communicate with customers about the status of their orders. "People expect things to come fast from a food truck," he said. He advises them that everything he serves is made to order; nothing is pre-cooked.
One of his most successful events was the UFC Contender Series. He also got a contract serving at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
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| A UFC event in Las Vegas proved to be one of Tallman's best events. |
Consultant work continues
Meanwhile, his work with "The Great Food Truck Race" continues. Fortunately, the TV filming runs May through July, when food truck events slow down in Las Vegas because of the weather.
If his consulting work expands, Tallman could hire additional people to work on the truck.
He already has plans for a second truck that will specialize in macaroni and cheese. In the long term, he'd like to have about seven food trucks.
"Food trucks are freeing to me," he said. "You're in a new place every day. You get to meet some of the best people. You can have fun with it."
"Everybody that has experienced my food had positive things to say about it," he said. Nevertheless, Tallman continues to exude a lot of humility when you meet him in person, which could be one of the keys to his rapid success in the food truck industry.
About Elliot Maras
Elliot Maras is the editor of Kiosk Marketplace and Vending Times. He brings three decades covering unattended retail and commercial foodservice.
