By Lily Berger

Warm smiles and “Hi’s.” Warm lobster and crab. Warm butter and bread. And, cold, cold, fresh-squeezed lemonade, made by yours truly. Where else can you get authentic Maine lobster rolls (none of that mayo nonsense) out of a food truck, besides Saltys Lobster & Co.? This food truck is typically found all over Virginia, often with me in the window, and I highly recommend you stop by and give the Loaded Crab Fries, among an array of other things, a try. 

Loaded Crab Fries.
Photo credit: @saltyslobsterco on Instagram.

Owner Jonathan Kelly initially started Saltys as a brick-and-mortar out of Roanoke, Virginia. Due to COVID-19, he had to quickly pivot, as it was unlikely the business would last, and he decided to go into the food truck business. Eventually, Kelly expanded into the Richmond area, regularly covering concert venues like Brown’s Island and Maymont, but also festivals, like the Autumn Festival at Rassawek Vineyard. The truck also often pops up at places like Hardywood Brewery and Libbie Mill. 

Kelly is highly focused on growing and building a fan base for his food, as if he were a musician. In doing so, the tent and truck are clad in loud, red lobsters, and their Instagram/Facebook handle. To his social media’s benefit, he created a deal on lemonade, allowing half off your second 32-ounce lemonade if you post and tag the business on Instagram or Facebook. Often it is social media followers who revisit the truck, craving the lobster roll they once tried. They understand that the line may be ten-plus groups long, but it does not matter, as the food seemingly has a sturdy grip over them. 

Jonathan Kelly with hot ticket items, the lobster rolls. Photo credit: Jay Paul of Richmond Magazine.

I first met Saltys as a customer with my dad, Chris Berger, who raved about the lobster roll from a previous visit and told me I had to come with him next time. Of course, I obliged and opted for a crab roll, perfectly balanced with Old Bay seasoning and butter. Shortly after this exquisite visit, I found out from my dad that Saltys was hiring, so I quickly reached out, in search of making some extra money. After several DMs with the owner via Instagram, I connected with a manager who told me where and when to be that week. 

Working in a food truck definitely sounds insane to at least half the people I tell about it. But what they might not realize is that the people I get to work with are beyond fascinating. A diverse group, in multitudes of ways, and funny as all get out. They are over-sharers, and I am here for it. At first glance, it may be weird seeing a 17-year-old girl taking your order with two 20-somethings in the back, cooking up the previously racked-up orders, but let me assure you that it is perfectly normal. 

Let’s run through a quick day in the life, so you can truly get a glimpse of what it’s like to work in a food truck. Our example will be from when I worked at the Rassawek Vineyard Autumn Festival, which was a weekend event in October.

First thing Saturday morning, I left for the kitchen at around 7:40 a.m., to ensure that I would be there by 8:00. As soon as I got there, I began filling up squeeze bottles with condiments, like ketchup and ranch. After that, I put all the perishables into an insulated bag and put it in co-worker Dwayne’s car, which we were unfortunately driving that day. After we fully loaded his car with everything needed that day, we hit the road, with me squeezed in the back seat with food, propane tanks, and other necessities. The GPS said it would take us 45 minutes to get there, but in reality Dwayne’s service cut out, and we got lost way out in the woods of Goochland, but we eventually found our way.

Once we arrived, we unloaded the car and put some things in the truck if they needed to keep cold and others out on tables in front if they were going to be used momentarily. It took us around an hour to fully set up and open for business. Once we were open, I made my way to the front with the cash box and point-of-sale device (POS; the credit card machine), and my two co-workers meandered to their stations. Customers quickly gathered around the area and ordered rapidly.

I would go on to write dozens of tickets that day and then give them to the cooks so they could make each order. We did not close until 5 or 6 p.m. that night, then packed up, drove back to the kitchen, and stowed all the perishable items in the fridges. Dwayne then sent us home, saying he would do the dishes, and that was a night. 

I love working in a food truck, but there are a few pet peeves we in the food business have issues with. For your future food truck visits, here is some customer behavior we’d rather avoid dealing with: 

1. Impatient customers.
2. Customers who wait directly where the line is supposed to form (Please step aside, as I told you).
3. Customers who reach into the tent for condiments (that violates public health safety).
4. People who ask what’s on the menu, when the menu is right there.