June 10, 2024

The newest food truck in Sioux Falls often will be found around the railroad tracks downtown and is called, appropriately enough, Chew Chew.

It’s from the owners of The Treasury, the cocktail bar in the same building as Hotel on Phillips, and could serve as a “test kitchen” of sorts for the restaurant side of the business, general manager Michael Mohr said.

He and executive chef Matthew Regnier “had a lot of fun putting a lot of food together and experimenting and growing new things, and as we came out of our busy season — which is basically October until the end of January — we were looking around and thinking what should we do next to continue to grow the brand and bring awareness to the food element at The Treasury,” Mohr said.

Both had wanted to do a food truck at various times, but obstacles like space for prep and a way to order inventory got in the way, he said. While The Treasury will continue to serve food during the summer, the team there has more capacity, so “we had basically all the infrastructure to successfully pull off this food truck and do a great job with it, and it gives us an opportunity to keep our team engaged throughout the whole year,” he said.

The menu will change continually, but it’s starting with many items that were popular with diners during a featured menu  for Cinco de Mayo. That includes five kinds of street tacos, nachos with a choice of meat, chips and salsa or queso, street corn fries and Mexican cola, Poppi soda and Smartwater.

“It’s very summer-centric. It’s quick and affordable. But we definitely want to have some fun and do different things,” Regnier said.

“We’re going to base it on feedback from customers and see how things go over and if people are enjoying that menu.”

The size of the truck’s kitchen and the one at The Treasury actually are comparable, they said.

“The idea is to really engage the culinary team,” Mohr said. “We are known for our cocktails and known for our craft and being able to create experiences, and we’re really looking to add to that with the culinary team being able to add exploration and experience through food.”

Chef Koel Eastman will be spending the most time on the truck, supported by Sharron Hoover,  Ezrahn Hoover and Curtis Cornish.

Chew Chew will debut Wednesday, June 12, at the Cherapa Place plaza from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and it will continue to be parked there at the same time each Wednesday. The plaza is on the east side of the Big Sioux River between Sixth and Eighth streets.

Thursday through Saturday from about 5 to 9 p.m., the plan is to park outside Highball, 440 E. Eighth St., which has common ownership with The Treasury and doesn’t have a food menu beyond bar snacks.

“People start and end their evenings at Highball, with the parking across the street and the big ramp behind, and now we want to give the full (food) service for the summertime,” Mohr said.

Chew Chew also will be available for some special events such as corporate outings, weddings and block parties. It likely will stay out at least until Labor Day.

“This gives us the opportunity to try a new dish on a one-off basis and recalibrate things and see what the reception is from people eating the food and how the food gets prepared,” Mohr said. “We always joke The Treasury kitchen is just a food truck with a dishwasher.”

To connect with Chew Chew, click here.

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