Amid tragedy, the Black Forest Chew-Chew Gastro Truck keeps chugging along.Deanna and Dodd Johnson started the food truck business in 2016, using a truck then called The Food Train that they bought from Crazy Ottoís Diner (now Crazy Brothers). Their food is award-winning, earning the Peopleís Choice Award for two years in a row at the Small Business Week food truck cook-off in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 2017 win was a big one because the truck was so new, but this yearís award was even better because there was much more competition, Deanna Johnson said.Johnson enters the summer ñ- the busy season for food trucks ñ- without Dodd; he died in a freak accident in January. The former minor league baseball player was 53.Dodd Johnson grew up in Austin, Texas; itís there that he and Deanna, originally from California, met. They moved to Colorado six years ago, living in Denver for a few months before finding a place in Black Forest.ìAustinís getting so crowded, and I love the mountains,î Johnson said.She has a culinary background; her family owned restaurants when she was growing up. Along with her husband, Johnson saw a food truck as a way to test concepts and build a fan base ñ- a steppingstone to a brick and mortar location, which is still in the plans.ìHe was my behind-the-scenes man,î Johnson said. Now itís just her and her female “pit crew.” ìWeíre the girl truck,î she said.The food truck specializes in international street food. ìSo we have everything from the United States, Greece, a lot of Thailand, Korean food,î Johnson said. ìIíd say we have an Asian slant.îWhile Johnson cooked up most of the menu, she gets ideas from her crew as well. ìWeíll sit around and brainstorm idea,î she said. The menu changes every Monday, although some items stay. ìItís nice because you get to try out new things,î Johnson said.Operating a food truck is more work than it might seem at first glance, she said. Itís not just a couple of hours of serving food at a fun-filled event; there is licensing, shopping, prep work, cleanup, washing the truck and scheduling. ìFor people who come up and say, ëI want to open a food truck,í donít work an event with us. Come work a week,î Johnson said.She said she is working more on the catering side, booking “a bunch of big graduation parties,” weddings and other events. The menu can be tied to the event’s theme. And with a guest list, it’s easier to know how much food will be needed. At a brewery, business is harder to predict: It could be a big night or a $50 night, Johnson said.”When you first start out, you take everything, and sometimes you lose money,î she said.When she is not on the road with the truck, she is busy at home. At her Double D Ranch, she offers dog boarding and dog agility training, and she competes with her border collies and golden retrievers. She also has horses and a miniature donkey named Shrek ñ- ìthe sweetest creature youíll ever meet,î she said.To find the Black Forest Chew-Chew Gastro truck, search for the truck’s Facebook page, where a weekly schedule is posted. ìThatís the easiest way to find us,î Johnson said. Every other Friday, youíll find the truck at JAKís Brewing Co., where a crowd reliably shows up to enjoy the food. It was at JAK’s original location, across the street from the Falcon Safeway, that the food truck really got its start, she said, adding that ìFalcon never disappoints.î
