HIS OWN BOSS After years of working in food service and cooking for other business owners, Rob Evans decided to go into business for himself last year. Big Rob’s Food Service now comes to locations around the region in a large blue truck and serves up a variety of tasty dishes to eager customers. Duncan Hutchison photo
On the road with Big Rob
Blue food truck comes to diners
By Elias Horn | Manor Ink
Livingston Manor, NY – Starting a business from scratch isn’t easy, but that’s what Rob Evans did. He is the owner of Big Rob’s Food Service, a mobile food truck and catering company.
Evans recently set up his mobile kitchen at the Livingston Manor Fire Department to feed the Rockland Seniors Group. It was the first time the group skipped their usual potluck dinner for a prepared meal.
Big ROB’S Food Service
Hours: Friday, 4-10 p.m.; Saturday, noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Locations: Beaver-Del, East Branch; Butternut Grove Campsite, Roscoe; Roscoe Farmers Market; see Facebook for details
On the web: facebook.com/Bigrobsfoodservice
Phone: 607-353-5899
Evans has been a cook for a really long time. His parents started teaching him how to prepare meals when he was only eight years old. When he turned 15, he got his first job as a dishwasher. After working as a cook for other people for years, he decided he wanted something different – the freedom to work for himself and be his own boss .
A food truck has some awesome benefits. While regular restaurants have to wait for customers to walk through the door, Evans can just drive his kitchen to where the crowds are.
Even though the business is still in its first year, the truck has already served food at the Manor’s Trout Parade, a baseball tournament and a music festival at Butternut Grove Campground. He even fed 140 people at Rockland Central School’s prom last year in just three hours!
MOBILE EATS Hungry customers place their orders at the food truck window on a recent Sunday afternoon at the Roscoe Farmers Market. Duncan Hutchison photo
However, running a truck is also hard work. It takes about an hour-and-twenty-five minutes just to turn the kitchen on and get it ready to prepare food, sometimes really far from home. Since it is a small business, Evans also has to do almost everything himself, including the shopping, cooking, cleaning and dealing with customers. Balancing all that work with a regular home life is his biggest challenge.
Still, Rob Evans makes sure to help out the community. He gives back to local food pantries and feeds senior groups on a budget, even if it means losing money. Evans’ approach shows that hard work can really turn a passion into a career.
Look out for a big blue truck at events in your neighborhood, or catch it at its regular locations in East Branch and Roscoe. The food is great – specialties include Philly cheese steak sandwiches, pulled pork sliders, barbecued chicken and mac ’n’ cheese – and Big Rob will be happy to serve you.