Food Truck Spotlight

Dishing up fresh, cooked-to-order fare proves to be a winning combination

Slim Chickens franchisee Byron Wheeler shares insight on the LOVE Restaurant Group's first truck operation, launched in Denver, and likely the first of many given the brand's expansive development plans.

Provided.

May 4, 2020 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

Food Truck Name: Slim Chickens

Founded: Launched in November 2019.

Operator: LOVE Restaurant Group

Location: Aurora, Colorado

Is this truck your first or one in a fleet?: This is the brand’s first food truck. We will be bringing additional Slim Chickens locations to the area as we signed a 30-unit deal for the next 10 years, covering all of Utah and Colorado. Development is already underway in Centennial, Colorado Springs and Parker, Colorado as well as Lehi, Utah — which are slated to open in 2020.

Do you operate a brick-and-mortar location/food site as well?: Yes, we do operate a brick-and-mortar location at 3900 N. Tower Road in Aurora.

Cuisine: Slim Chickens is in the better-chicken segment, serving high-quality food with fresh ingredients. We offer hand-breaded, cooked-to-order tenders, and 17 house-made dipping sauces (so that customers can try something new every visit). The differentiated menu also features fresh salads, sandwiches, chicken and waffles, chicken wings and unique side items.

What prompted you to start a food truck?: The restaurant scene is booming in Denver and this part of the country, with food trucks being a part of this growth. We knew that a Slim Chickens food truck is something that would work in the communities that we’re looking to enter.

Why did you choose the cuisine?: When I first tried Slim Chickens, I knew it was a winner. There is nothing out there like it that offers such high-quality food and so many sauce and side options. Plus, the atmosphere and southern-feel is hard to beat.

Do you make all the food on the truck or do you use home-based kitchen or commissary space?: All of the food is prepped on the truck for immediate use.

How did you come up with the name?: The Slim Chickens food truck is part of the Slim Chickens' franchise. One of our founders’ mother actually came up with the name and the rest is history!

What's the best part of being a food truck operator?: The best part of being a food truck operator is all of the people we get to meet — customers line up outside to try out our food and it really boosts that community feel when we see them talking amongst each other while enjoying the food we were able to provide.

What's the worst part of operating a food truck?: There are a lot of different rules and regulations to owning a food truck, from where you can park to getting permits. In a perfect world, it would be great to be able to go wherever, whenever. But, we know those rules and regulations have a place so in the end it all works out!

What lessons have you learned since launching the truck?: How to effectively book the truck at the right events. We’ve graduated from taking any place that would have us to being selective about which brands and companies we align with.

Is there anything you would have done differently at the start?: I would have set the kitchen equipment up differently, now that we’ve actually served guests out of it and know how the kitchen flows.

Any tips/advice to others thinking of launching a food truck?: A food truck is only as successful as the events and locations it serves at. Make sure that you have strict criteria for what events and brands you will partner with.

Do you have any anecdotes about running a food truck — any unique interactions or special events you've been booked at?: My favorite event so far was working the Ice Christmas event at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Aurora. Every day, thousands of people came to the event to see Christmas decorations, shows and performances. The hotel brought in a couple of food trucks to help with the demand for food. It was so fun to see everyone dressed in Christmas outfits and to just see the joy and cheer on the faces of families and friends that were out celebrating the holidays together, and Slim Chickens was honored to be a part of this event.

About Judy Mottl

Judy Mottl is editor of Retail Customer Experience and Digital Signage Today. She has decades of experience as a reporter, writer and editor covering technology and business for top media including AOL, InformationWeek, InternetNews and Food Truck Operator.

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