Four new food trucks brace for opening day in Gulf Breeze, joining new outdoor food court
The Gulf Breeze outdoor food truck park The Eatery is ready to make its debut, providing the area with new fast-food options and an outdoor leisure space to enjoy them.
Four of the restauranteurs have already secured their spots in the park at 1713 Woodlawn Way, ranging in cuisine from Korean barbecue, burgers, tacos and topping it off with ice cream and shaved ice.
In addition to the six food trucks The Eatery will host once all of the vacant spots are filled, visitors can also enjoy yard games, ample parking, a large pavilion with air-conditioned restrooms, water fountains, full utilities and many seating options, according to a statement released by The Eatery.
For the four food trucks that have been locked in so far, here is a look as to what visitors can expect.
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Turtle Roll Homemade Ice Cream & Shaved Ice
Charlene Cook, owner of Turtle Roll Homemade Ice Cream & Shaved Ice, moved to Pensacola in 2020, and starting her own ice cream shop had always been a dream on the backburner.
Cook grew up in Australia before moving to different states across the U.S. She said moving to the beach was just the next stop on her family’s adventure. Owning an ice-cream shop seemed to fit perfectly with her new surroundings.
“I was done with the office, I wanted to do something fun,” Cook said. “I want to just provide a place where families, both locally that live here and families on vacation, can go have fun, enjoy ice cream together."
She added, "To me, ice cream is always a way to build memories.”
A graduate of Scoop School, a frozen dessert training school in St. Louis, Missouri, Cook has become an expert in breaking down the science behind the ice cream, such as finding just the right amount of air and fat in each dish of ice cream.
Cook plans to eventually make all of the ice cream she sells herself, but is still searching for the right kitchen space. Until then, she will be sourcing all of her ice cream from Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe, which uses its own creamery in Mobile, Alabama.
She said the vision for her business aligned with Cammie's, and the two even worked together to create a special blend of ice cream unique to the Turtle Roll truck.
The finished product was a signature turtle ice cream, made of a cheesecake-based ice cream with caramel and chocolate fudge and candy pecans mixed in.
Some of the other special flavors she will offer include a king cake ice cream infused with fresh king cake, mint chocolate chip, cookie monster, chocolate cookies and cream, cotton candy and a Creole praline, which is comparable to a butter pecan.
Ice cream can be served in either a cake cone or a cup, with the small size for $3, regular size for $4.50 and the large size for $6.
In addition to the ice cream, Cook will also be offering shaved ice that is shaved to order with 24 different flavors, including sugar-free.
Cook said she plans to be open from noon to 8 p.m. seven days a week starting Feb. 1, though hours are subject to change by season.
Sauce Boss Burger Co.
The entrepreneurial spirit did not fall from the tree, as Charlene Cook’s son, Eli Cook, will be heading the truck next door, Sauce Boss Burger Co. The truck will be offering six specialty burgers and homemade sauces.
Eli Cook said he has grown up making and eating burgers his whole life, and they would always be his go-to order on a restaurant’s menu.
“I have been making dinner for a family of six for four years now,” Cook said. “Getting to do something with cooking as a career is exciting and a start of something potentially big.”
After moving to Gulf Breeze, he and his father saw the potential market for specialty burgers, so Eli Cook got to work in the kitchen crafting his own recipes. He even perfected a custom wagyu-blend of meat using local Pensacola butcher shop, Costello’s.
In addition to developing creative signature sandwich combinations, Eli Cook said having quality sauces was key to completing the burger's flavor. Each of the burgers come with their own signature sauce, such as Boss Sauce, Barbie Sauce, Mad Sauce, Bleu Sauce, Cinco Sauce and a rotating special sauce for the burger of the month.
Eli Cook said there is something for everyone, whether it's the classic Boss burger, a wild Western burger, a spicy Mad Dog or a decadent bleu cheeseburger.
All gourmet specialty burgers range in price from $15 to $18, but do fluctuate based on supply and product cost, Eli Cook said.
Cook said the business is not only a positive opportunity for his career, but also a special opportunity to be one of the first to ever serve in The Eatery.
“It’s really awesome to be part of the founding of something like this,” he said. “I’m excited to see where it takes us.”
Cook said he is hoping to be open Feb. 11 after finishing up hiring and finishing touches on the business. Once open, he plans to serve from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday for the first month or two. After that, he will change days and hours of operation accordingly based on the season.
Seoul Foods BBQ
Also joining the mix of The Eatery trailblazers is Austin Jones, owner of Seoul Foods BBQ food truck, which specializes in a Southern-Korean fusion.
Jones said he learned about the Korean-style cooking from his extended family, but wanted to incorporate it into the Southern style cooking you would see at a traditional cookout.
“I realized it’s not super common here, a lot of people have not tried it,” Jones said.
The menu includes a range of unique entrees all averaging out to about $10, such as the porkbelly bulgogi, japchae noodles and Korean corn dog.
Some of the more familiar Southern-style dishes include pork sandwiches or pork smothered macaroni and cheese.
The fusion items offer the best of both worlds, including a bulgogi and barbecue shrimp po'boy, bulgogi porkbelly and barbecue pork mac and cheese fries, and a caramelized kimchi pulled pork sandwich
Jones plans to be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting in February, though hours may fluctuate depending on the season.
More food trucks:
Flip-n-Yaki Asian fusion food truck sets up shop in The Garden
Nationally touring vegan food truck plans stop in Pensacola's Odd Colony Brewing Co.
Azteca's Tacos
Co-owners of Azteca's Tacos Les Furrow and Luis Reyes started the Mexican home-cooking styled truck to bring the flavors of their roots in Jalisco, Mexico, to the Pensacola area.
Reyes brings 17 years of experience in the restaurant industry with him, including over a decade spent cooking at the Mariachi Mexican Grill in Gulf Breeze.
“That’s what I do best, is sell food,” he said.
Though tacos are advertised in the name, he said the tacos only account for a portion of the menu. He said the menu offerings expand into burritos, Mexican-styled plates such as a hibachi-style shrimp on the grill, kids meals and desserts. The street tacos do reign as a bestseller, he said.
The two partners aim to keep the menu affordable, with menu items starting at $3.50 for tacos and ranging to about $12.50 for larger plates, Reyes said.
Though Mexican food trucks are not a rare occurrence in Pensacola, Reyes said the quality of ingredients and authentic flavors help distinguish Azteca's from other competitors along the Gulf Coast.
The website will be up soon with a full menu, but in the meantime, updates can be found on the company’s Facebook page.
Azteca's is planning a soft opening sometime this week, but will hold its grand opening Feb. 1. They are planning to start off with hours from 10 a.m. until about 6 p.m. on Monday through Saturday but plan to stay open later in the warmer months.
“We spent a lot of time making this happen,” Reyes said.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Gulf Breeze's The Eatery launching with four food trucks on February 1
