PHOTOS BY ANNALISE BAINES. Torched Goodness owner Julia Ireland said Eudora has a sweet “small townness” to it that she never had before. It is the perfect location to travel to bigger cities, such as Lawrence or Topeka, and have the possibility to work in larger markets.
STORY BY RILEY WILSON
Three years ago, a lime green truck rolled into Eudora and torched a new path.
Now the owner of this sweet ride is ready for an upgrade.
Julia Ireland is the owner of Torched Goodness, a food truck that serves over 30 flavors of crème brûlée to Eudora and surrounding areas during special events.
Not only is she planning to get a new food truck by the end of the year, but she's also expanding her catering business with a new doughnut wall and a s'mores station.
She said her business has far surpassed what she envisioned when she first opened it.
“It’s fun to see it growing,” Ireland said.
Her journey into the food truck business began in Phoenix in 2009 after she was inspired by gourmet food trucks in her hometown of Los Angeles. Five years later, she decided she wanted a change from the big city and looked toward the Midwest, eventually landing in Eudora.
“I never would have thought in a million years, but it’s worked out great,” Ireland said.
Food trucks have become increasingly popular over the past five years. The industry has grown 6.8 percent since 2014 and is expected to earn $1 billion in revenue this year, according to IBISWorld.
In Kansas, there are 844 licensed “mobile units.” Not all mobile units are food trucks, but a large amount are, said Heather Lansdowne, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
The state requires food trucks to follow the same license processes and food codes as traditional food establishments. A regulation unique to food trucks is the tracking of the truck’s operating locations through a mobile unit log.
The food truck craze is attributed to increasing consumer preferences for cheaper gourmet foods. This is the same reason Ireland chose to serve crème brûlée, as she said people don’t normally have access to it.
“It’s not something your average home cook is going to make, so that’s what makes it kind of neat,” Ireland said.
She tried out recipes and worked on her technique before branching into making her own flavors. Her crème brûlée costs between $4 and $6 each.
Food trucks face some different challenges from traditional restaurants, such as the limited space and potential for truck breakdowns. Despite the obstacles, Ireland said the business is low stress and the fun outweighs the challenges.
“There’s no stress and people are just happy. You give them this little cup of yum and they’re just happy,” Ireland said.
She said it has been easier basing the food truck in a smaller town, but operating in Kansas also has challenges. Due to snow and wind, she runs the truck only from March through October.
The Eudora community has been supportive of Torched Goodness, Ireland said. Many local entities, such as the police station and the library, use her catering services for events.
Eudora resident and photographer Katie Lewis said her family has tried the meatball sub sandwiches and crème brûlée from Torched Goodness and plans to go back.
“It’s so good. Her salted caramel is seriously the bomb. And my kid even likes it, which says a lot,” Lewis said.
Elizabeth Knispel, owner of Twill Trade, said her family also likes to get takeout from the kitchen location of Torched Goodness at 826 Main St. The kitchen is open from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and serves various foods and desserts.
Knispel said she also thinks there’s a tight-knit business community in Eudora.
“I think everyone makes an effort to shop small and really work as a group because we’re kind of all in it together,” she said.
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