Steve Wegman, owner of Weggy’s On Campus restaurant in Mankato, suggests watching what you talk about over beer with your buddies.
Wegman and his friend, Trent Nielsen of St. Peter, were doing just that one day when they started talking what ifs. Casual ideas became reality a lot faster than Wegman expected. “Next thing you know,” Wegman recalled, “Trent’s in Denver looking at food trucks. He found one and I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it'”
So began the adventure that brings Wegman, Nielsen, and the 507 Food Truck to the opening of The Hub Food Park in Old Town Mankato on Friday, April 27th.
“We did our dry run at the Mankato Brewery last Saturday,” he said. “We hadn’t even turned on the equipment yet so we weren’t sure what we were getting into. It all worked! It was a great test run!”
What’s In A Name?
When asked about the name, Wegman offered, “We do lobster rolls, Philly rolls, gourmet hot dogs, and sliders. A lot of the food revolves around a roll. We thought about calling it ‘Rock and Roll’ and have the lobster be the logo.” In the end, another concept won out. “507, it’s our area code. It’s local. It’s keeping it fresh. Just something fun.”
Future Plans
In addition to The Hub, the partners have plans with other venues. “We’re getting calls to do weddings and graduations. We might start doing some breakfasts. Then we’re at the Mankato Brewery for forty-eight nights. We’re going to be at twenty plus MoonDog home games. A lot of the places like the brewery don’t have food options.”
About The Hub Food Park in Old Town Wegman offers, “It’s novel concept, it’s going to have music and entertainment. It should be fun!”
The Hub Food Park is located at 512 N. Riverfront Dr. in Mankato. Opening day hours are from 11-2 for lunch and again from 6-10 for dinner. Live music and a movie are planned.
