PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Four Wisconsin food trucks will be operating inside the NFL Draft campus next month.
Many more will be setting up just outside of the event gates, hoping to capitalize on the 240,000 people expected over the three-day event.
The draft campus will also include traditional food tents. Specific details on those haven’t been revealed yet, but organizers have previously said a supper club vibe will be included.
The Green Bay Food Truck Coalition will be overseeing the four food trucks inside the draft gates. They are expected to be located in the Titletown District, which is where the NFL Experience will be — an interactive area with games, displays and player appearances.
The Dough Shoppe and Taqueria Maldonado’s are the two food trucks from our area that will be inside the draft zone.
“I think the part that is nerve wracking is trying to figure out how much product to have because we don’t want to run out and we don’t want to have too much,” said Shannon Heupel, owner of The Dough Shoppe and head of The Green Bay Food Truck Coalition.
Frybread Shack out of Ashland and Purple Basil out of Wisconsin Rapids will also be inside the footprint.
“We’re in EAA and Lifest, Strawberry Fest, so we’re used to big crowds, but this is bigger,” said Heupel.
The Green Bay Food Truck Coalition will also be represented outside the draft campus with four trucks located at the Bar on Holmgren Way. Six to 10 trucks will be in the empty lot at the southeast corner of Holmgren Way and Lombardi Avenue.
The following food trucks are confirmed to be at The Bar on Holmgren Way:
- Steel Belly BBQ
- Philly’s & York
- Dough Shoppe (Green Bay)
- Taqueria Maldonado’s (Green Bay)
You’d think trying to cash in on the draft would be a no brainer for food trucks, but Heupel says that isn’t necessarily the case.
“Not everyone is going to fit inside the zone, so you have to provide trucks for outside the zone,” said Heupel. “Whether they do well on the corner lot, whether they do well at The Bar or at Stadium View, nobody knows. This is a gamble to everybody. It’s scary for a lot of trucks.”
Heupel says the one-time event makes it difficult to gauge traffic flow, manage logistics, and knowing how much product to have on hand.
Food trucks are also expected to be at Stadium View, Badger State Brewing, Ticket King and the empty lot at the northeast corner of Ridge Road and Lombardi Avenue, according to Heupel.
Ashwaubenon Village Manager Joel Gregozeski says it seems like plenty of food trucks are planning to be out.
“We are seeing an uptick of food trucks from outside the general area,” said Gregozeski. “So places like Madison, Milwaukee, even some that are coming from out of state, as far as Texas have an interest in showing up and being part of the draft.”
Gregozeski estimates the number of food truck licenses for the village has gone up between 25% and 50% over the past year, likely as a result of the draft.
Ashwaubenon and Green Bay officials remind people looking to sell anything near the draft, they will need the proper licenses.
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