A new trend with food tucks
East Coast Sammies partners with Fusion Brewing
BY KRISTINA ROSEN
Some food trucks have become so successful they now have brick and mortar locations. Some brick and mortars have become so successful they’ve launched their own food trucks.
Then you have some brick and mortars who have gotten with a whole new program of launching partnerships with independent food trucks, which is exactly what Fusion Brewing and East Coast Sammies did.
In January, Fusion Brewing partnered with East Coast Sammies, and in doing so, gave the breakfast inspired food truck a permanent residence in the Distillery District.
Christy Guzenski, founder and owner of East Coast Sammies LLC, launched the food truck about a year ago when she realized she was unhappy with the path she had chosen for herself. Since then, she quit her full time job in healthcare, went back to school for her MBA, and started her own business. She booked her first event with East Coast Sammies in July and had several regular spots she was going to by August.
In September, Fusion Brewing approached her with a partnership she couldn’t turn down. Fusion wanted a stable food service and Guzenski wanted to find a stable location, but Fusion didn’t have the space available for a kitchen and Guzenski didn’t want to open a location without first assessing the local market. The solution? A permanent residence collaboration between the two.
This means you now know where and when to find East Coast Sammies. The food truck is operating under a new schedule with set hours subject to change permitting the weather and special events.
“The Distillery District is one of my favorite areas in Lexington. It’s up and coming, and continues to grow,” says Guzenski. “It gives me more opportunity to continue to expand the menu and capitalize on more than just the patrons at Fusion.”
East Coast Sammies was inspired by the classic New York style bagel sandwich. Upon being raised in upstate New York, Guzenski’s main goal was to bring this version of a bagel sandwich to the Lexington community.
Along with bagels, the menu offers breakfast bowls, dinner options, and the most popular item to this day, the breakfast burrito.
“When I interviewed people and asked what they would want to see, a lot of people said a breakfast burrito. It originally wasn’t on the menu and it’s not really associated with the East Coast–so I threw in crispy home fries.”
Night time events are where the food truck took off and while most people loved the idea of breakfast for dinner, every once in awhile there’s someone who doesn’t want that.
Guzenski started offering one dinner special at nighttime events to gauge what was most popular and that’s how she chose what to incorporate on her newly launched dinner portion of the menu, which includes the Chicken Spiedie Sandwich and Meatball Sammie.
“My favorite part is the full control of it all. From testing things on the menu to experimenting with my friends and family, I get to put my creativity into it.”
East Coast Sammies can be found at Fusion Brewing between 5-9 pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and on Sunday from 2-6 pm.
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