Photo by Hannah Plishtin
The Munchies Food Truck that can be found in the Arboretum every Friday at 3 PM is more than just a fun way to spend lunch while recovering from thirsty Thursdays: the new business is the epitome of sustainable food and enterprise so at odds with the corporate and factory-heavy manufacturing of today’s food industry. Owner and chef Aiman Saad and his wife and co-owner Manal understand fast food, and that McDonald’s and Burger King aren’t the only cheap, fast option for food.
The truck is also an experiment to push local government to stay timely and supportive of local business. The process of receiving updated permits to park and sell Munchies products is a lengthy process, but not one that supersedes the $80,000 investment in the truck. To Aiman, low-quality factory-produced meat is not the only way to make inexpensive food.
“We wanted to be different,” he said. “Everyone out there is selling the cheapest product just to make a profit. Our food is Lebanese comfort food, and Manal and I grew up in America so we’ve got the burgers, soda, the fries, the ice cream … McDonalds and Burger King are giving you the cheapest quality meat, why does it have to be like that?”
The couple, both raised in the New London area, grew up around food. Aiman’s family, for example, was born into a family-run gourmet Middle Eastern restaurant that was very popular in his neighborhood. When Manal and Aiman met, they realized they both had a passion for good food. After having two children, the couple spearheaded what could become a trend: sustainable and mobile fast food.
“We didn’t want to get bogged down with a restaurant. We wanted to be able to go anywhere. We didn’t want all those surveys and spending money on bar tax and waiters. With the truck, you cook the food, and hand it to the customer. I can make a good sandwich, I can make a good soup and just serve it,” he said.
The business began last year, launching at Conn on April 20. After a successful summer catering to beachgoers, the most attainable goal in sight for Munchies is securing permits to come onto campus on Thursday nights to serve hungry collegiates with the munchies.
“I’ve been hoping to get into the college market more,” Aiman said. “The arboretum is cool, but it’s only cool when people are down there. We’re out of the way. That’s the closest you can get without being invited in. It’s taken a while but it looks like we’re finally going to get in.”
Munchies Food Truck takes sustainable food processing extremely seriously. Their website, for example, has a strongly-worded “Real Food pledge,” that promises, “We refuse to use anything artificial, only minimally processed, healthy, wholesome ingredients.”
The truck only purchases meat from a local butcher who grinds from a single livestock. “If you go to Stop ’n Shop, you don’t know where the meat is coming from. [Our butcher] grinds one piece of chunk for us, and it’s a high quality product,” Aiman said. The chefs also only cook with trans-fat-free oils.
The all-natural basis of the business would not be possible, however, if not for such a low overhead, or costs on the income statement that covers labor, fees and materials. A restaurant might not be so lucky in today’s economy; with the truck, the business could look forward to another year of success.
“We just started. It’s just the beginning,” Aiman said. “We just got our permit in Providence, and we’re going on the college trail once or twice a week. A percentage of our income goes to support that student group.”
By next year, Munchies plans to add another truck and many more permits. What will really keep the business going is more than the just food. The warmth and availability of the owners, who understand the community-driven benefits of family-run business, know their customers will come back because of the intimate customer-service. “We owe you lunch!” Aiman insists to customers as they walk away. •
