Hot dog! Food trucks across northeast North Dakota hit road, serving up BBQ, comfort food and other staples

Jun. 28—GRAND FORKS — Joe Bertrand has found people will show up for hot dogs, rain or shine.

"I can't believe how hardcore hot dog people are — it's been raining, thunder storming and they're standing under the awning," Bertrand said, beckoning to a red- and white-striped awning over his bright red food truck.

In May, Bertrand opened

Hippie Gone Hotdog

, a food truck with a menu consisting solely of different kinds of hot dogs. He is also the owner of Paula's Cafe in Mayville, North Dakota, which he is selling at the beginning of 2024.

Bertrand intended for the summer to be a test run before going full time with Hippie Gone Hotdog next year, but the demand for his truck around the region was far greater than he anticipated.

"My idea was just to kind of poke around and see what it's like, kind of get my toes in the water a little bit," Bertrand said. "Then I put my first Facebook post up, and within a week I was booked out for a month."

It's not just Bertrand experiencing a high demand for food on the go. Across the region, food truck owners are revving up for a busy summer of serving customers at fairs, festivals and any other place where they can find a spot to park.

The types of events people hire food trucks to cater have been one of the biggest changes in the food truck industry over the years, said Elena Longtin of Neche, North Dakota. She has been operating

Bourbon Barrel BBQ

since 2018 after buying the business from its former owner.

"We were normally thinking of food trucks as going to fairs and bigger outdoor events," Longtin said. "The dynamic has changed."

Along with the typical events, Longtin finds herself at smaller gatherings like graduations, family reunions and nursing home staff appreciation events. She markets her business as a way to take some of the pressure off of event hosts when planning an event. Instead of having to worry about cooking for guests, people who hire Bourbon Barrel BBQ can enjoy the event and have more options than if they were cooking for the event themselves.

"It is nice that we're starting to hit some different niches," Longtin said.

Longtin serves smoked brisket and pork, as well as grilled chicken for people who do not like smoked meat. Her menu also includes fusion dishes and gluten free options.

Over the summer, Longtin primarily sets up shop in the small communities in Walsh, Pembina and Cavalier counties. In October, she parks at the Pembina County Fairgrounds in Hamilton, North Dakota, to serve food to people working the sugar beet harvest.

"We're not your typical food truck that's at all the big food truck rallies and all these things because we are lucky enough to be able to stay local, so I'm super grateful for that," Longtin said.

Small-town stops fill most of Bertrand's calendar as well. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has noticed a decline in the number of local restaurants in the region's smaller communities.

"There aren't a lot of places to eat in small towns, so I've got some evenings in small towns," he said.

With her food truck

For Crepes Sake

, Sabine Wallace of Middle River, Minnesota, frequents county fairs and local businesses across northwestern Minnesota. With a menu of two savory crepes and three sweet crepes, she has found that having a mobile business provides a variety of venues and customers.

"Different crepes sell differently at different events," Wallace said. "I think it's more fun being able to go around instead of being in a permanent location."

Esther Donohue of Pekin, North Dakota, has been operating

Sweet Prairie

food truck out of her trusty truck, 'Clyde,' for three years.

"Like a workhorse," she said. "A Clydesdale."

Donohue, a professionally trained chef, shifted to running a food truck after she grew bored of running her catering business. Sweet Prairie focuses on using local ingredients to create inventive twists on classics, like different variations on loaded fries, mac and cheese, and even tacos.

"I tell people they're not like authentic Mexican tacos, they are definitely North Dakota tacos," Donohue said.

In its three years in operation, Sweet Prairie has found a lot of success and gained a following in the food truck industry, but Donohue says success is not guaranteed and it is not easy work.

Food truck owners wear a lot of different hats — they manage their business, run social media pages, book events and cook the food.

"You pay all the bills and do all the grocery shopping. All the prep," Donohue said. "So it's a lot of work."

Startup costs include the truck and the kitchen equipment inside. Once the food truck is running, there are everyday costs like ingredients, gas and propane. There are also additional costs that come from keeping the truck in line with North Dakota food code regulations that can change.

Donohue gave the example of the new requirement that food trucks have air vents, which, according to her, have put a lot of food trucks out of business.

But for entrepreneurs willing to put in the work and invest the funds, the demand is there, Donohue said.

"I think it's going to keep growing as long as you're doing it right and you've got a passion for it," she said.