NIU Food Truck Wednesdays take over Normal Road in DeKalb

DeKALB – A food truck festival returned for its second season this spring at Northern Illinois University, bringing with it an array of options for students, staff, DeKalb residents and community members to explore.

The event is expected to take place again from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and May 1 as NIU Food Truck Wednesdays take over Normal Road in front of MLK Commons. The festivities are open to the community.

Jennifer Groce, the university’s director of community promotion, said the idea behind the event was originally piloted by the university last year.

“The point of it was to take advantage of our roads that closed and bring something fun,” Groce said. “A lot of our food trucks are local, so it was fun to introduce campus and the community to various vendors from throughout DeKalb County and beyond. It was such a success that our students gave us a clear nod. They absolutely want to see it back.”

The event’s opening day saw attendees greeted by a plethora of food fare, including fare from Big D’s Hotdogs and Rustic Oven Woodfired Pizza to OpenDoor Coffee.

NIU student Kristina Starling was walking Normal Road with a fellow classmate while enjoying a charged lemonade.

“I like the different variety of food trucks,” Starling said.

Starling said she believes that events, such as NIU Food Truck Wednesdays, have become popular among people.

“I think it’s the fact that it’s something different compared to the dining halls and the regular food places we have here at NIU,” Starling said.

Elsewhere at the event, Rustic Oven Woodfired Pizza owner Bob Miller was firing up the oven. Miller said he was satisfied with how the event went for his business.

“For our food truck, it went over great,” Miller said.

Miller said he believes most people enjoy the experience of partaking in what food trucks have to offer.

“Each year, it’s gotten busier and busier,” Miller said. “I think you can get a lot of quality food off of a food truck. … The quality that you’re getting is at least as good, if not better, than many restaurants.”

NIU student Vincent Syphommarath was sipping on an iced coffee dubbed the Malibu from OpenDoor Coffee.

“I thought it’d be really sweet, but it’s really kind of a mellow coffee [that’s] coconut-flavored,” Syphommarath said.

Syphommarath said he was inspired after last year to come back for another helping of Food Truck Wednesdays, and hoped to get something to eat.

“One of the things I wanted to get was the hot dogs from Big D’s,” Syphommarath said. “I thought the name was interesting, Big D’s Hotdogs. … I don’t get hot dogs all the time. It’s kind of nice to get a Chicago-style hot dog.”