Local food truck businesses during COVID-19
By Mea Griffin
PHOENIX – Each Friday and Saturday night, the corner of Roosevelt Street and 16th Street in Downtown Phoenix comes alive as local vendors come together to share music and good food.
The food genres that are offered by the vendors at the Roosevelt 16 Street Market vary from Hawaiian, Mexican, American, Barbeque, and even dessert options, such as homemade ice cream.
Before COVID-19 shut everything down in early March 2020, the Roosevelt 16 Street Market was intended to grow to reach a larger audience. Organizers planned to add interactive events such as discounted food nights or even an activities night, where the guests of the market can enjoy the mix of entertainment and comfort while enjoying a meal. Then, when the pandemic hit, the market was forced to close.
“That’s why we are here,” Lydia Seise said. “Everybody is trying to get it back going.” The vendors and families who work in the local market are family-owned and operated businesses. They are trying to make a living to support their families while simultaneously sharing their food with the people in the area.
Statues at the entrance of the street market
Elote Man AZ Seasonings
Lydia Seise is one of the main owners and operators of her family’s business, Elote Man AZ. The restaurant stands out because of its unique twist on traditional Mexican street corn. In addition to the classic recipe, which is grilled corn smothered in a creamy sauce, cheese, chili powder and lime, the menu also features items like Doritos Elote and Flaming Hot Cheetos Elote.
Elote Man is actually the second business for Seise and her family. They also own “Johnnie’s Java,” a mostly mobile coffee catering business that started in 2016.
Seise said they only founded Elote Man after the pandemic started.
Owner Lydia Seise
When COVID hit in March, we literally went from one weekend to the next, and we started doing Elote Man because we do have a food truck as well.”
Before the pandemic, the family was only selling street corn at festivals and out of their food truck only occasionally. After the virus hit, Elote Man became their full-time business.
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Running Elote Man six days a week isn’t easy, and on top of that their workforce has been cut in half. The family members who used to help the business regularly, had to make changes in their own lives to protect themselves from the airborne virus. A lot of them were and are unable to leave the comfort of their own home and have to rely on the other members of the family to provide means for food and to pay the bills.
Elote Man AZ Menu
“So, prior to that we had like ten family members working, and now we only have like five,” Seise said. “We’re working on our second food truck to have more family members work and try to make it work.”
Most of the time, Seise and her family are operating Johnnie’s Java and Elote Man on the same night in separate locations. This helps the family expand their customer base and earn more money to feed the five different families in Seise’s extended family
“I have my food truck at a different place and then we have our mobile cart here just to try to make payroll and pay bills so everybody can have a paycheck,” Seise said.
In fact, profit from Elote Man is the majority of their income.
“Our coffee business was 95% of our income, and this was 5%,” Seise said. “Now, because we are able to be outside and the way the business is, our coffee business, we’re doing maybe 5% of the time now, and this is 95%. This is a lot more work though.”
For the mobile cart, “They are actually in Tempe tonight. They are right off Rural and Broadway,” said Michelle Ortiz.
Seise’s family member, Michelle Ortiz helps her with Elote Man at the street market, but she also owns her own business, too. She creates and sells masks, scrunchies and miniature plush pillows themed with major league sports teams.
The Elote Man business is a lot more work and a lot less cost-efficient.
“The cost of corn is not cheap,” she said.
Corn is also seasonal. According to the Food Network, the peak season for corn lasts from May through September. This means Seise and her family have to get creative during the off-season months to ensure their product still tastes good.
Michelle Ortiz
But in spite of the various challenges, Seise and her family show up to as many events as they can. “We’re trying to reach out and do different venues, like two jobs at a time,” Seise said.
This strategy seems to have worked. Nearly a year after the global outbreak of COVID-19, their family businesses are still standing.
“I’m going to say we’re very, very blessed. I don’t even know how to explain it, you know, but we’ve been able to work during this time.”
Seise and her family want to help others be successful, too. She and her family encourage the community to come out and support local businesses and families. As the world opens back up, there is an opportunity to help get businesses like Elote Man thriving again. And Seise has learned that it’s possible.
“You can’t just give up! You got to keep going,” Seise said.
Elote Man AZ Sticker - Street Corn
The entrance of the Roosevelt 16 Street Market