‘It melts our hearts’: Businesses kick off ‘Food Truck Thursdays’ in Roanoke County

Odyssey Fields
·2 min read

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — Roanoke County’s “Food Truck Thursdays” is back in full swing and on Thursday the event kicked off at Walrond Park for the season.

On April 25, five food trucks lined up inside the park to give the community a taste of some of its best dishes.

Kelly Brammer, the Assistant Director of Tourism for the Roanoke County Parks and Recreation says the event is a good chance to visit the park and try something new.

“It’s really important to support small businesses and get people into a park that they may have never been before,” said Brammer. “We have a really booming industry of food trucks here. We have a very solid community, it has a lot of variety.”

Previous Coverage: Calling all foodies! Food Truck Thursdays returns to Roanoke County

From empanadas to pulled pork, food enthusiasts gathered in the park to explore authentic flavors from businesses in the Roanoke Valley.

Nelson Pantoja, the owner of the Empanada Nirvana food truck, is no stranger to “Food Truck Thursdays.” He says seeing the community come to support small businesses and try different cuisines is a good feeling.

“When you see people who come out just to support your food truck or other food trucks or to support local, it means the world to everyone. Honestly, it melts our hearts. To see a line of people sometimes all the way back down that you get to serve them with something that you put your passion, heart, and soul into,” shared Pantoja.

The family-run business specializes in authentic Puerto Rican food. This year Pantoja marks two years in full operation. He says being able to travel across Central Virginia and share his flavors with different communities is one of the perks of having a food truck.

Other food trucks including Chris’s Coffee and Custard and Rocky Mount Smokehouse were also there to join the fun.

The next “Food Truck Thursday” event is set to kick off at the Merriman Sports Complex on May 9.

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