Editor’s note: Food Truck Wednesday has been canceled for Wednesday due to weather. The event will resume 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 10.
DeKALB – Hot meals and cool treats are rolling back to Northern Illinois University with the return of Food Truck Wednesdays.
Each Wednesday in April from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., up to 12 food trucks will line Normal Road in front of the MLK Commons so students can grab their favorite coffee, burgers, desserts and more.
NIU Director of Community Promotion Jennifer Groce said the university decided to bring back the popular pilot program after receiving an overwhelmingly positive response from students last semester.
“We heard from students, faculty and staff. Everyone was like, ‘This is so much fun, please don’t stop,’” Groce said. “And then our students, they gave us a lot of, ‘Hey, we’d love to see more ethnic food.’”
Newcomer Coqui Comfort specializes in Puerto Rican street food prepared by Sue Garcia. The Garcias are excited to share with DeKalb their unique take on classic Puerto Rican dishes such as papas rellenas, pernil and jibaritos.
“We offer authentic Puerto Rican comfort food that’s not too spicy, but it’s flavorful,” Selznick Garcia said. “Our menu is small, and everything seems to be everyone’s favorite.”
There are 35 trucks scheduled throughout the year with 28 lined up for the spring season, according to Groce. Vendors will rotate each week so customers can visit their favorite trucks more than once.
The fall season for Food Truck Wednesdays will begin the first week of classes and go through the end of October. The university is also planning an event for the first week of December, according to Groce.
The university has once again partnered with the Campus Activities Board which will provide free entertainment and make appearances along with members of NIU Athletics.
Senior psychology major Rebecca Bryant, is looking forward to the fun and hopes her favorite vendor from last season, Wild Fries, will return.
“It’s an exciting experience,” Bryant said. “There was music, a few games from CAB and I got to socialize with friends. It really added an oomph to the campus.”
Students can visit the NIU events calendar to see which trucks are coming each week.
