As food buggies parked on Union Street gain popularity, a new option will be available to those staying in Athens during the summer.
Chica Chica Chop Chop is the newest addition to the East Union Street buggy group. Although the buggy-style vendor started last January on Richland Avenue, the warm weather has brought its Cuban-inspired fare Uptown — joining Burrito Buggy, Epic Sandwiches and Ali Baba’s Gyros.
“We’re just a buggy, but we’re really a mobile restaurant,” said Todd Wilson, owner and founder of the new buggy. “We want to have the full range of services you’d offer to a patron.”
Todd Wilson said he and his wife, Tuti Wilson, both 1994 Ohio University graduates, chose the Cuban-inspired menu because they thought it would be a unique option for Athens residents.
Despite moving from the original Richland location, the couple was able to keep its client base after moving to the current location near College Green, Wilson said. They also frequent recreational soccer games and local festivals, he added.
Wilson said one reason he chose to open a buggy as opposed to a restaurant is because a buggy is more portable.
“You can go to festivals and reach an audience you might not be able to reach if you were in a brick and mortar establishment,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s buggy features homemade salsas and marinades, as well as unique Cuban coffee, he said.
“A concession stand is what they would have been called before. Now, they’re really mobile restaurants,” he added.
Wilson attributes the success of Chica Chica Chop Chop to its convenient nature.
“I think the buggies are popular because they’re sort of foreign,” he said.
“They’re parked on the street, and you don’t have to sit down.”
Whether customers are frequenting the newer buggies or the veteran food carts, they agree that convenience is the main draw to food buggies.
“They’re convenient,” said Athens resident Chris Sheehan. “You can just walk by and grab a sandwich real quick if you’re in a hurry.”
OU student Tim Grable, a sophomore studying computer science, has worked for six months at both Epic Sandwiches and Ali Baba’s Gyros, which are owned and operated by the same family.
Throughout his time working at these two buggies, Grable said he has noticed that all the buggies parked on East Union Street compete for business.
“It’s my job when I’m over there to try to snag customers,” Grable said.
He attributes the popularity of the carts to the pace of the town.
“Social media (such as Campus Menus) plays a big role in it,” he said
Food buggies have gained attention in the media during the last few years. The Wilsons mentioned the Food Network as one of their inspirations, and the Chicago Tribune reported yesterday that food carts’ revenue is up 3.6 percent nationwide this year.
Grable said that bad weather during the colder months can slow business, but regular customers add to the profit and the fun.
“I hope that food buggies survive,” Grable said. “It’s fun to work at one, and it’s fun to come up to one.”
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