New street food restaurant coming to Milton this month based on popular food truck

Gourmet isn’t the goal for Cejo Food Truck founder Andre Johns.

His focus is fun, funky food that is enjoyable to eat.

Over the past year Pensacola area foodies haves been raving over the fan-favorite items from his food truck like the Hot Cheeto Mexican corn, Philly cheesesteaks, chamoy pickles and pulled pork hot dogs. Now, Johns has gone to work in establishing a brick and mortar at the former Hooked and Flavored building at 5472 Stewart St.

The new food shack called “Cejo’s Corner” will neighbor Milton High School and specialize in street foods. It will come equipped with a pick-up window, outdoor seating and yard games.

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He and co-owner Toriee Nielsen are hoping to have the restaurant ready by the month’s end. In the meantime, they may be offering a sneak peek by setting up their food truck outside of the restaurant for special events, such as for the high school’s first day of school.

The new location will still carry over all the craveable street food plus a few new additions, like the New York City-styled chopped cheese sandwiches. Traditionally served like a deconstructed burger with ground beef, gooey cheese, crisp lettuce and tomato on a bun, the chopped cheese can take on different variations depending on the ingredients that are mixed in. He also plans on venturing into breakfast items for the new storefront.

Johns is hoping to transform the place into a laidback hangout spot that still serves good food late at night, ideally staying open until about 11 p.m. or midnight. He hopes the street-food style spot will be a place where high school students can come after sporting events and make memories.

“Milton is very slim-pickings, and that’s from experience,” Johns said as a Milton resident. “After 9 o’clock there’s nothing to eat. I was like, ‘We could change that.’”

Although the Cejo style of food is casual in nature, the quality is uncompromised, and Johns said he makes a commitment to sourcing the freshest local ingredients possible, like from Bailey’s Produce and Nursery in Pensacola.

“If I wouldn’t eat it myself, I wouldn’t sell it,” Johns said.

While he's a stickler for food quality, he takes a more relaxed approach to his venues, allowing customers to leave their signature on the graffiti inspired food truck. He plans to still invite customers in to leave their mark on the brick-and-mortar, either by signing a wall decoration or through snapping a Polaroid inside that will be hung inside of the restaurant.

Nielsen sad one of her favorite things is seeing a customer write a message, then snap a picture to send to a friend or a significant other.

Johns even will honor customer requests, like filling a customer’s bag of hot fries with meat and fixings to create a "walking taco" on the spot.

“I just want you to walk in and feel like you belong here,” Johns said.

Johns has always wanted approachability to be key, even when he was starting out as a humble hot dog cart in 2016.

He watched as kids delighted over the classic all-beef hot dogs, and adults dressed them up with toppings. After years of building up the business, he turned an old wedding truck into a fully functional street food truck and plans to only continue taking the truck to events while growing the business.

He is still in disbelief walking through what are now the Cejo’s Corner doors knowing that the place is his. Even as he grows, he doesn’t anticipate the hot dogs that started it all will ever leave the menu.

He is hoping that the Cejo’s restaurant will become a community favorite, and that the phrase behind the name, “Can’t Eat Just One,” holds true.

More updates and information on the Cejo Food Truck’s whereabouts can be found on the Cejo Food Truck Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Cejo Food Truck expands footprint with Milton restaurant opening soon