Featured photo: A photo of the Moni’s Brats trailer, courtesy of Monica Rogers.
Shreveport-Bossier’s mobile food vendor scene could be called a lot of things, but “predictable” is not one of them. Take, for example, the newest mobile food vendor to debut: Moni’s Brats, a food trailer serving bratwurst, currywurst, pommes frites and traditional German condiments and sauces. Moni’s Brats will debut during lunch on Saturday, June 20, 2015, in the parking lot of Goodwill Industries in Haughton at 1085 US Highway 80. I spoke briefly with Moni’s Brats owner Monica Rogers about her food, her heritage and “the number one street food in Germany,” currywurst:
20×49: What made you want to launch a German food truck in Shreveport-Bossier?
Monica Rogers: I saw the need. I couldn’t locate anyone who served German food in Shreveport-Bossier, and I’d wanted to start a German-related food service business for years. Of course, we were thinking about a brick and mortar business at first, but that’s so expensive. With the local acceptance of food trucks, we thought that this could be a fun way to do it.
20X49: Do you have a personal connection to Germany?
MR: I’m an Army brat. We’re from the San Francisco Bay Area, but have lived here in Shreveport for 10 years. My mom was first-generation German, and I lived in Germany with my mom’s family for six years as a child. I was raised on German food.
20×49: Tell me about the menu, which looks just wildly authentic.
MR: We’re serving veal and beef smoked bratwurst, and eventually we’ll expand into schnitzel sandwiches. In the cooler months, I want to add some homemade German soups. We’ll have imported German mustards and homemade sauerkraut. We’ll be serving currywurst, which is the number one street food in Germany. Currywurst is a white bratwurst that is fried, sliced into rounds and covered with curry sauce.
20×49: And we’re talking about real deal bratwursts, here?
MR: Yes, indeed. My current supplier is a German butcher in New Jersey. These are not commercial, mass produced bratwursts that you can buy in stores.
20×49: Do you expect there to be kind of a learning curve as locals develop an understanding of what you’re serving?
MR: Oh, yes. Bringing German food to Shreveport-Bossier is going to be fun, because people don’t know what to expect. But I’m going to stick to my guns. My hopes are that the little red trailer will attract them, and the food will keep them coming back.
Moni’s Brats will be selling at Goodwill Industries in Haughton on Saturday, June 20, 11 a.m. until at least 1 p.m. They have also signed on to sell food at the Bossier City Farmers Market, held in the parking lot of Pierre Bossier Mall, each Saturday in August. They are available for catering and events, and can be reached at (318) 390-2384 or monisbratsfoodtruck@gmail.com.
“Like” Moni’s Brats on Facebook.
Visit the Moni’s Brats website.
