Not long ago, food trucks seemed fit only for construction sites or quickie lunches between meetings.
They usually consisted of something either too dry or too greasy of questionable origin. Well, no more. Food trucks are now the height of hip, with all types of gourmet food on offer. This week, Julie Crist of the Tot Cart gave me an insider look at her tots.
PGN: How long have you been in love with tater tots? JC: Oh, since I was a kid. I loved them in any form, whether the homemade ones my mom made for us or the kind served in the cafeteria. I mean, you can’t really go wrong with a fried potato! Actually, back then they were baked; they’d bake them in the oven on a cookie sheet.
PGN: When did you get the idea for the business? JC: About five years ago I bought a fryer and started messing around with different recipes, frying them instead of baking and either tossing them in various spices or creating different toppings for the tots. I would make them for friends and parties and everyone would go crazy over them. So I toyed with the idea of starting a restaurant specializing in tater tots. This was before a lot of the fashionable restaurants started serving them on their menus. After researching it, it seemed more financially feasible to start out doing something smaller like the food cart. I bought a used cart about two-and-a-half years ago and started working on modifying it for my needs and getting all the Health Department and L&I paperwork done. We finally opened this past March.
PGN: What’s the difference between the baked tots of your youth and the fried gourmet tots? JC: I think you get a better consistency by frying. It gets really crispy on the outside while the inside still has that potatoey taste and texture without getting dried out. They’re probably not as good for you but they’re more flavorful. They also hold the seasonings a lot better when they’re fried.
PGN: Where did you grow up? JC: In Langhorne, about 30 minutes north of Philadelphia. It was a great little town to grow up in. It was during a time when we didn’t have video games and it was safe to let your kids go out and play on their own.
PGN: Any siblings? JC: Yes, I have a sister who’s 25 who lives in D.C. and a 17-year-old step-sister; I’m 32.
PGN: Where did you get your entrepreneurial spirit? JC: Definitely my father. He was a carpenter and the type of man who could read a book on anything and then just do it. He could look at a deck or an elaborate dresser and, just by looking at it, he could recreate it. Now he’s really into caning, which is a method of weaving chair seats and other furniture. That’s another one of those things that he just read about and started doing.
PGN: Very cool. And Mom? JC: My mother was a nurse.
PGN: Anything notable about the fam? JC: Not really, other than that a good portion of the family all worked at PECO. Grandfather, uncle, cousins, we have a lineage of PECO workers.
PGN: What’s a happy family memory? JC: New Year’s Day. I guess that’s actually notable: On my mother’s side of the family, the entire group have all been Mummers for most of their lives. I have great memories of years and years of Mummers parades.
PGN: Did you ever march? JC: No, when I was young they didn’t allow women. All of my family members were string-band members and by the time they opened it up to women, it was too late for me to want to learn an instrument that would fit.
PGN: Were you a sporty kid, civic-minded or more academically inclined? JC: All of the above. I was involved in a lot of different sports and I also did very well scholastically.
PGN: What was your greatest sports moment and biggest disaster? JC: When I was a kid, I played in a CYO [Catholic Youth Organization] basketball league and got picked for the varsity team when I was about 10, which was really exciting. The same thing happened when I went to high school: I got picked for the varsity team there too. Unfortunately, about two weeks into the season, I shattered my kneecap during a practice, which I guess would qualify as my biggest disaster.
PGN: Ouch! So no sports scholarship? JC: No, not at all. I went to Temple as a business major.
PGN: What was a favorite class? JC: I took a comedy-writing class that was a lot of fun.
PGN: Have you found any practical application for it in the business world? JC: Actually yes, I love expressing my creative side, especially if I can be witty with it. Even something as simple as naming the different kinds of tater tots gives me a chance to be whimsical. Our unseasoned tots are “De Plain” tots, our tots with blue cheese and wing sauce are “In the Buff,” stuff like that. I try to add a little humor to everything. Our mascot is Chris P. Tater.
PGN: And what’s your day job? JC: Well, it’s actually my last day on the job as associate director of Temple’s executive MBA and MS programs!
PGN: And you’re leaving all that for little potato nuggets! JC: [Laughs.] Yup! I can’t wait.
PGN: What’s exciting about being the tops in tots? JC: I’m excited about having the ability to utilize my skills, which is something I think I really didn’t get to do much as AD. I’ll get to express my creativity and I think it’s very motivating when you own your own business. When it’s yours, you really push yourself as hard as you can because you are solely responsible for the success or failure of the business.
PGN: What are some of the steps you’ve taken towards success? What advice would you give other entrepreneurs? JC: I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is to be patient. The city doesn’t make it easy for small businesses, food trucks especially, to get started. The process of getting your licenses and inspections and all the paperwork done takes quite some time. I’d tell people to reach out to other businesses. The food-truck community has been more than willing to help and answer questions. They know how difficult the process can be and are willing to share knowledge.
PGN: Speaking of the food-truck community, it seems like it’s a business that’s really hip right now. What do you think has caused the boom? JC: It’s very interesting to see how it has changed. I notice that a lot of the businesses are owned by people right out of college — very young people who, instead of going into the corporate world, are opting to go into something like this. There are a number of factors, but certainly the Internet has played a big part. People use Twitter to let their followers know where they’ll be at any given time. People really look for that. We’ll say that we’re going to be at a certain festival or something and people will post, “Oh my God, I can’t wait! So excited!” Social media has made it a different industry.
PGN: I understand you were nominated for a Vendi award? JC: Yes, we were one of the 12 top trucks voted to be at the awards ceremony.
PGN: I was surprised that it was such a big affair, that tickets to a food-truck event sold for $60 at the door, which I guess is indicative of how far they’ve come. JC: Yeah, it was a really fun event. It was a fundraiser for the Food Trust. We served over 700 orders, which was insane but it was a good cause.
PGN: For only having been in business for four months, you guys have really made a splash. JC: It’s exciting. The Daily Meal rated the top-10 tater tots in the nation, and put us in the number-1 spot, along with places like The Aviary in Chicago, Bullitt in San Francisco and Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge in Minneapolis.
PGN: So can I get an insider scoop on the next new tater on the menu? JC: We’re actually looking to add some kind of dessert tot and maybe an Asian-fusion type of tot. PGN: What was the tot that you created for SundayOUT? [Laughs.] I’ve had dreams about that one! JC: The Tachos! We’re going to be adding it to our permanent menu.
PGN: And by “we,” do you mean Jessica Orso, who is your business partner and also your life partner? How did you two meet? JC: Yes, we actually met on a dating site and have been together for a little over a year. She is very entrepreneurial as well and very creative. She’s a good balance because I’m more the event coordinator, marketing side and she’s more into the organizational and operational aspects of the business.
PGN: What was your first date? JC: We went to dinner at Jack’s Firehouse.
PGN: Other than tater tots, what’s your guilty pleasure? JC: I could eat pasta at every meal of every day. I guess I’m all about the carbs.
PGN: What else do you like to do outside of your culinary exploits? JC: I like to try new things, whether it’s skydiving or trying a new restaurant, I’m always up for something at least once. I play a little guitar … I, um, hmmm, it’s hard to say right now because I’m pretty much all about tater tots 24/7. I’m a pretty laidback person, though, so I just really enjoy all of life.
PGN: When did you start playing guitar? JC: I guess when I was about 14. I’m not really good, I just like to mess around in my free time.
PGN: What’s your go-to karaoke song? JC: “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes.
PGN: Any pets? JC: Three cats: Floyd, Zeppelin and Reba.
PGN: I guess you like music? JC: Yes. But Reba is named for a song by Fish, the singer, not after Reba McEntire. No country for me, but yes, I love music, I love going to concerts.
PGN: Best concert experience? JC: P!nk. I saw her recently and it was awesome.
PGN: If you and Jessica were on a reality show, what would it be called? JC: “Opposites Attract!”
PGN: Are you an environmentalist? JC: I’d say so. We’re in the process of signing up with a company so that we can donate our used oil to be made into bio fuel. We’re also switching all of our cups to containers made from recycled materials that can be recycled again afterwards. We’re trying to get a recycling bin for outside the cart as well so people can recycle soda bottles, etc.
PGN: If success were guaranteed, what’s something you would try? JC: I’d expand the business. Either another type of food truck or expanding the Tot Cart by franchising the trucks. We’d also like to move into real estate, anything in an entrepreneurial vein. PGN: You mentioned that you’re a very laidback person. What makes you lose your cool? JC: Hmmm, that’s a hard one. There’s not much. I guess when my ability to do something is questioned. I’m not a fan of being micro-managed. If you want me to do something, tell me and I can get it done. You don’t need to look over my shoulder. I also like to be free to try new ideas and express myself, and when that gets hindered I get frustrated.
PGN: A turning point in your life that makes you look back and smile? JC: When I graduated from college, I traveled to Ireland myself and backpacked for a month. It was a true turning point in my life: I became way more independent than I’d ever been and really found a sense of myself.
PGN: What was the high point? JC: I was in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. I met a group of about 45 people from Amsterdam and had a great time celebrating with them. Then they gave me a ride on their bus all the way to Dublin. It was the highlight of my trip.
PGN: Back to taters. They’re such a comfort food; why do we love them so much? JC: I think they evoke a memory in us all. Whether you had a mom who made them or they remind you of your childhood and school lunches, there’s something nostalgic about them. Usually when people are crazy about tots, in addition to loving the taste, there’s some kind of connection to a memory. I think they hold a special place in our hearts. PGN: Speaking of heart, you just did a charity even for the Food Trust. Do you do a lot of that sort of thing? JC: Yes, we just did the Muckfest last Sunday in Newtown Square, which is a benefit for MS, and we also did an event at Seger Park, 10th and Lombard, to raise money for a water feature in the playground.
PGN: Where can people find you most days? JC: You can find us every Saturday between 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at PHAIR, the Philly Open Air market at 23rd and Arch. Other than that, we’re around at a lot of different festivals and events. In the fall, we’ll be at Temple four-five days a week but, until then, your best bet is to check us out on twitter at @Thetotcart.
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