Food Truck Tuesdays

By Jackie Gentile

August 2025

Tuesday, July 2 - North Elm Butcher Block parked itself in the St. Mary’s Church parking lot and, seeing they were comfortably settling in, I started to make my way home. No sooner did I leave, a severe thunderstorm warning popped up on my phone. Not today!!!

As a member of the Town of Otis Revitalization Committee and tasked with the working group to seek out and promote events in Otis, our first “Food Truck Tuesday” was at the risk of failure – or so I thought. With pre-orders called in and lines forming at its 4pm opening, ribs were sold out by 5:30, mac & cheese by 6 and no food left at 7. Food truck owner, Dan, said he’d never experienced anything like it. One hundred twenty orders completed in three hours!

A hungry crowd gathers in front of North Elm Butcher Block Food Truck. Photo: Stacey Schultz

Not only was there food for takeout, the library supplied tables and chairs allowing food truck patrons to dine with friends and family – all while enjoying a music performance by town resident and select board member, Larry Southard, who placed himself under the library’s eaves dodging the rain.

Thinking this may have been a one-off event, Dan came back the following Tuesday and said he’d be prepared for the crowd. Crescent City food truck, run by Otis residents Ashley and Travis, added a sweetness of shaved ice for a refreshing dessert. For Dan, another successful meal offering with 82 orders and Travis was pleased with meeting their monetary goal.

With two successful Tuesdays under our belt, the team continues to reach out to other food trucks to offer different cuisines throughout the summer. Future events can be found in this issue, through social media and flyers posted throughout the town. Come by, enjoy the food, and hang out with your community. And watch for an occasional Wednesday Food Truck Pizza Night – next one scheduled on Wednesday, August 6th.

Otis is the place to be!