Food Truck Wednesday takes over Normal Road

August 30, 2023

Liz Wright (left), the executive assistant to the president, Matt Streb, the chief strategy officer and George Middlemist, vice president for administration and finance, trying out KA-BAO and Little O’s frozen treats food trucks on Wednesday. Food Truck Wednesdays will be happening 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday on Normal Road until the end of September. (Nyla Owens | Northern Star)

DeKALB – Food Truck Wednesdays made a delicious debut Wednesday as the NIU community lined up for a taste.

Food Trucks were stationed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the closed portion of Normal Road where local vendors: Little O’s Frozen Treats, BattleAxe Coffee, Sweet Butts Cotton Candy, and Ka-Bao! set up shop.

Melissa Butts, owner of Sweet Butts Cotton Candy, said that she often works DeKalb events and is not a stranger to flavor.

“We have over 50 flavors on our website,” Butts said. “We can also make cakes and cupcakes out of cotton candy which is really cool right now with so many people discovering they can’t do dairy or eggs or gluten.”

Butts said that a frequent fan favorite of Sweet Butts Cotton Candy was their “Big Fat Cookies” and freeze-dried candies, which is why so many students were seen with cotton candy bags in hand while walking through the M.L.K Commons.

A sister company of Ollie’s Frozen Custard continued the sugar rush as many students stopped for a quick bite on their way to class.

Eric Karl, managing partner for Little O’s Frozen Treats, said that although they are a smaller version of Ollie’s, their menu has something for everyone.

“We just don’t have as many toppings and we have soft serve custard versus having hard scoop custard like Ollie’s,” Karl said. “We do it all, we have frozen lemonade that’s special to the truck and we also offer loads of flavor.”

While most vendors were limited in beverage options, teas, lemonade and coffee were specific to just one.

Grant Goken, owner of BattleAxe Coffee, had one item he would recommend to everyone: his maple cinnamon latte.

“The maple syrup is like a natural sweetener, the cinnamon flavors it, it pairs perfectly with a dark roast,” said Goken.

Ka-Bao!, the final food truck involved in the fest, served a take on bao buns, which included unconventional fried fillings like cauliflower, spam and even fried chicken.

Students said they waited over half an hour in line for the Asian-fusion cuisine with lines so long they eventually sold out of half their items, prior to the event ending.

Food Truck Wednesdays will be a recurring tradition for the NIU community and will take place every Wednesday in September from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. between the M.L.K. Commons and Normal Road in conjunction with CAB providing entertainment and music nearby.