The New York State Fairgrounds will be filled with some of the region’s best eats and craft brews on Saturday for the Syracuse Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival. The event, running from noon to 5 p.m., will feature 28 food trucks and beer from 24 breweries across the country.

It will be held just before Syracuse University’s commencement on Sunday. And some food truck owners are already getting ready for the event.

Chuck Andrews, owner of Macarollin’, is amping up his truck’s process management and transaction speed. His goal is to process at least five orders per minute.

Macarollin’, which started operating in 2013, will be at this year’s festival. It won the People’s Choice award in the food truck competition at the New York State Fair last summer.

To expedite the waiting process, most festivals require that trucks only offer three to four menu items, allowing them to distribute their orders faster with more centralized meal preparation, Andrews said.

It can be a challenge to assess the number of servings to bring along, and many owners overestimate their sales to prepare, Andrews said. But the owner said that it can also serve as a cap on the truck’s performance, so they go in another direction.

“We plan for success, not failure,” he said.

At this festival, Macarollin’ will debut a Guinness-infused bratwurst mac with caramelized onions and a mustard cream sauce.

Cheesed and Confused is another truck that will be in attendance to dish out specialty grilled cheeses. Owner Andy Doerflinger said fan favorites of the truck include the “pork and mac” sandwich with mac-n-cheese and pepper jack, as well as their apple, bacon and cheddar sandwich.

For bigger events, Doerflinger takes a few items off the menu to expedite the ordering process, so long as it doesn’t change the quality or customer experience, he said.

“There is a fine line between just knocking people through the line and still letting them feel like they’re getting something unique,” Doerflinger said. “If you’re just throwing sandwiches at people, whatever the case may be, that loses a little bit of the luster, as far as what a food truck is all about.”

Food trucks often find themselves working in close proximity. Doerflinger said that 95 percent of trucks work very well together, helping out and covering for each other whenever they can — even sometimes organizing events together.

After working in the industry for years, Andrews said he takes every chance to help other owners save a few steps or avoid making mistakes along the way.

“The impact you have on other people’s lives, whether it’s your own employees or other food truck owners, that’s what really counts,” Andrews said.

Festival-goers can also explore a variety of craft beers available from breweries such as Middle Ages, Ommegang, Dogfish Head, Lagunitas and Thin Man.

Craft breweries offer a number of different profiles, usually enough so there’s something for every beer drinker, Andrews said. The beer will be served underneath tents, in between food trucks.

An early VIP session from 11 a.m. to noon grants access to all food and beer at the event. VIP tickets cost $25 in advance or $30 the day of, and each include the admission fee, which is $5 in advance or $10 at the door.

Published on May 9, 2018 at 12:50 pm

Contact Adam: aglehner@syr.edu