Marketing

Mom of 6 brings in the potatoes with Fully Loaded food truck

For mother of six Danielle Reed, feeding people is her love language. She has taken this philosophy on the road with her two food trucks serving loaded potatoes.

Photo: 614 Fully Loaded

October 14, 2026 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, Connect Media

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"Feeding people is my love language." That phrase was what inspired mother of six Danielle Reed to launch the 614 Fully Loaded food truck. Since launching in January 2022, it has expanded to two trucks in Columbus, Ohio, delivering fresh affordable potatoes with topping options. Check out how she made it work in today's Food Truck Spotlight.

Owners

Danielle Reed and Ron Petty

Date Founded

January 2022.

Location

Columbus, Ohio.

How many trucks do you operate under this brand?

Two.

How did you come up with the name?

When we were coming up with our name, we wanted something that immediately reflected what we do. We specialize in gourmet loaded potatoes, so "Fully Loaded" felt like the perfect way to describe both our food and the experience we wanted to create for our customers.

We added "614" as a nod to our hometown roots here in Central Ohio. It lets our customers know exactly where we're from and has become a fun part of our identity with our SpudBuds.

So, 614 Fully Loaded was really born from two things we're proud of: what we serve and where we're from!

What prompted you to start a food truck?

Honestly, it started with a simple belief that feeding people is my love language. I've always loved bringing people together around food and seeing the reaction when someone takes that first bite and absolutely loves what they're eating. When the opportunity to start a food truck came along, it felt like the perfect way to turn something I genuinely love into a business.

At the same time, I wanted to bring something a little different to Central Ohio. Loaded potatoes weren't something you saw everywhere, and I knew there was an opportunity to take something familiar and turn it into something fun, creative, and completely over-the-top.

What started as one food truck has grown into so much more than I ever imagined, but at the heart of it, it's still about the same two things: feeding people and making them happy.

What's on your food truck menu? Why did you choose this cuisine?

We specialize in gourmet loaded potatoes, but we like to give our SpudBuds a few different ways to enjoy them! Our menu starts with a perfectly baked jumbo potato, but guests can also choose fresh-cut fries or our house-made deep-fried potato skins as their base. From there, we pile them high with fresh toppings like seasoned steak, grilled chicken, dry-rubbed BBQ pork, veggies, cheeses and plenty of other delicious combinations.

As a mom of six, I also knew we needed to make sure the whole family could find something they loved. That's why we added jumbo all-beef hot dogs and popcorn chicken baskets to the menu. Our goal is for a family to be able to visit one truck, find something for everyone, and enjoy their meal together without having to split up and stand in three different food lines at a festival!

As for why potatoes? They're familiar, comforting, affordable and incredibly versatile. We love taking something people already know and love and turning it into something creative, fun, and fully loaded.

Do you make all the food on the truck or do you use home-based kitchen or commissary space?

Everything is prepared and made right on the truck! We don't rely on a home-based kitchen for our food preparation. Our trucks are fully equipped to handle our menu from start to finish, allowing us to prepare our food fresh and serve it hot right where our customers are.

What's the best part of being a food truck operator?

The best part is definitely seeing people enjoy something that I created. There's something incredibly rewarding about handing someone their food, seeing that first reaction, and hearing them tell us how much they loved it. The smiles, the conversations, and the relationships we've built with our customers are what make all the hard work worthwhile.

I also love the freedom and pride that comes with building something of my own. After working for other people for years, there's something really special about knowing that the decisions I make, the risks I take, and the work I put in are building a business that belongs to me.

And honestly, I never expected a food truck to create such a community around it. Our customers have become our SpudBuds, and getting to see the same faces come back again and again is pretty awesome.

What's the worst part of operating a food truck?

The hardest part is probably the amount of time and energy it takes to run a food truck business. There are long hours, early mornings, late nights, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work that customers never see. As the business has grown, one of the biggest challenges has been realizing that I can't physically be everywhere at once. There are days when I wish I could be on five trucks, at five events, and handling five different things at the same time!

There also are sacrifices that come with the job. Food trucks operate when other people are enjoying their evenings and weekends, so finding a good balance and making time for family can definitely be challenging.

And then there's the emotional side. We put a lot of pride and care into what we do, so negative reviews or knowing that we couldn't make someone happy can be difficult. The reality is that you can't please everyone, no matter how hard you try.

But I think those challenges have also taught me a lot about patience, resilience and knowing when to step back and appreciate how far we've come. Owning a food truck is definitely not for the faint of heart, but the challenges are part of what makes the successes so rewarding.

What lessons have you learned since launching the truck?

I've learned more lessons than I could probably fit into one answer! The biggest one is that owning a food truck is so much more than cooking and serving food. There is a tremendous amount that happens behind the scenes, and as we've grown, I've learned that you can't do everything yourself. You have to build good systems, surround yourself with the right people, and learn to delegate.

I've also learned that busy doesn't always mean profitable. Every event, location, and opportunity has to make sense for the business, and sometimes saying no is just as important as saying yes.

I've learned to be adaptable, because no two days in this business are the same. Equipment breaks, schedules change, events don't always go as planned, and you have to figure it out and keep moving.

Most importantly, I've learned to trust myself. When we started, I was learning everything as I went. Now, after growing from one truck to two and building a business and customer base I'm incredibly proud of, I have a much better understanding of what works for us and what doesn't.

There have definitely been plenty of hard lessons along the way, but every one of them has helped shape 614 Fully Loaded into the business it is today.

Is there anything you would have done differently at the start?

Absolutely! With the knowledge I have now, there are definitely things I would have done differently at the beginning. I would have put stronger systems and processes in place sooner, and I probably would have had a much better understanding of just how much goes into running and growing a food truck before I jumped in!

At the same time, I'm not sure I would change the path that got me here. So much of what I've learned came from figuring things out along the way, making mistakes, adapting, and sometimes learning the hard way. Those experiences helped shape the business we are today.

One thing this industry has really taught me is that nothing is handed to you. You can have restaurant experience, great connections, or know all the right people, but at the end of the day, you have to earn your customers. You have to serve great food, create a good experience, build genuine relationships, and give people a reason to come back.

If I had to go back and give myself one piece of advice, it would probably be to trust the process a little more and not be so afraid of figuring things out as I go. I may have started differently, but I'm not sure I'd be where I am today if I had.

Any tips/advice for others thinking of launching a food truck?

My first piece of advice would be: do your research and be patient. Before you spend a lot of money on a truck, spend some time learning the business.

Talk to as many food truck owners as you can. Eat at as many trucks as you can. And don't just pay attention to the food, watch what they're doing.

Look at everything. How is the truck laid out? Where is the generator mounted? How many people are working? How large is the menu? How long does it take to get an order? What does the ordering area look like? Is the truck clean and inviting? What do their online reviews say? What makes people walk up to that truck, and just as important, what might be keeping people away from another one?

Pay attention to customer service, cleanliness, presentation, menu design, pricing, efficiency, and the overall experience. You can learn a tremendous amount simply by observing other operators, both the things they're doing really well and the things that aren't working.

And most importantly, don't rush into it because it looks fun from the outside. There is so much more to running a food truck than cooking food. Do your homework, understand the numbers, learn from people already doing it, and make sure you're prepared for the amount of work that comes with it.

Then, if you still want to do it after all that...welcome to the food truck world

Do you have any anecdotes about running a food truck — any unique interactions or special events you've been booked at?

There have been so many moments over the years that it's hard to pick just one! One of the things I never expected when we started was how many different places this little potato truck would take us.

We've had the opportunity to be part of some really great Columbus events, including Columbus Jazz & Rib Fest, the Zucchini Festival, the Franklin County Fair, and other large community events. We've also had the chance to participate in fundraising events and community-focused events, which are especially meaningful because we get to use our business to give back.

But honestly, some of my favorite interactions happen at the truck on a regular day. We've had customers who started as complete strangers become regulars who we recognize by name and order. We've watched people bring friends and family specifically because they wanted them to try us, and we've even had customers affectionately adopt the name "SpudBuds" for themselves.

One of the coolest parts of this business has been realizing that we're not just selling loaded potatoes anymore. We've built a community around the truck. People celebrate birthdays with us, seek us out at different events, recommend us to their friends, and come back just to say hello.

Those are the moments that remind me how much bigger this has become than what I originally imagined when I started.

About Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is an experienced editor for Connect Media. He has written across a wide range of beats, ranging from food to digital signage to banking, and is the current editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing. When he’s not crafting a story, you can find him going for a run or spending time with his wife and three sons.

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