Meals Truck Highlight
House owners Kurt and Carrie Anderson mix meals science with household pleasant companies with their two dessert centered meals vans.
Photograph: Fairly Nice Cheesecake
January 12, 2026 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Market & Meals Truck Operator
Most folk go to meals vans for lunch or dinner, however what about dessert? dessert can carry your complete household collectively, and that is what the meals vans Fairly Nice Cheesecake and Petty Nice Cake Shakes goal to perform.
Based in Chaksa, Minnesota, by Kurt and Carrie Anderson, these vans mix meals science with good customer support to face out of their neighborhood. Study them in at present’s Meals Truck Highlight.
Date Based
05/2018
Location
Chaksa, Minnesota
What number of vans do you use underneath this model?
Fairly Nice Cheesecake and Petty Nice Cake Shakes.
Do you use brick-and-mortar places underneath this model as nicely? What number of?
No.
How did you provide you with the identify?
We needed one thing that felt enjoyable, approachable and trustworthy. We weren’t making an attempt to sound fancy or intimidating — we needed individuals to smile after they heard the identify. “Fairly Nice” felt assured with out taking itself too significantly, and it matched how we needed individuals to really feel after they took that first chew.
What prompted you to begin a meals truck?
I by no means dreamed of working for myself. That actually wasn’t the plan.
I went to the College of Wisconsin–Stout for Restaurant Administration, pondering I might comply with a standard path within the meals business. After graduating, I shortly realized that restaurant life wasn’t what I needed long-term. I went again to Stout and shifted my focus to meals science — a call that ended up shaping every part that got here subsequent.
After commencement, I labored at Jack Hyperlink’s, then moved on to Jennie-O, the place I helped develop meals merchandise. After I met my spouse (on Tinder!), I moved from Willmar to the Twin Cities and took a task with Dairy Queen as a meals product professional. I used to be answerable for organizing menu photograph shoots and promotional advertising and marketing — the pictures and supplies clients see in shops on daily basis. It was an unimaginable expertise that taught me how meals, branding and consistency all come collectively.
Finally, I discovered myself at a crossroads in my profession. I used to be pushed to decide: discover one other company position, or create one thing of my very own.
My spouse and I had casually talked about promoting cheesecakes for years, however this was the second the place the thought began to really feel actual. We requested ourselves all of the arduous questions — ought to we hire kitchen area? Promote wholesale? Attempt to get into eating places or grocery shops? We began speaking to individuals within the business, asking for recommendation and studying as a lot as we might.
Probably the most memorable moments early on was assembly Andrew Zimmern, host of Weird Meals, to get his opinion on our cheesecakes. Being from New York, he overtly described himself as a cheesecake traditionalist — however after making an attempt ours, he was genuinely impressed. That second gave us confidence that we had been onto one thing particular.
Finally, we realized we did not simply wish to promote dessert — we needed to create an expertise. We noticed a chance to do cheesecake in a different way: daring flavors, prime quality and one thing individuals hadn’t seen earlier than. The meals truck mannequin allowed us to carry our product on to the neighborhood, join with clients face-to-face and develop organically with out sacrificing high quality.
For us, Fairly Nice Cheesecake grew to become the right mix of creativity, meals science and household. It allowed us to construct one thing of our personal, on our phrases, and share one thing we really love with the individuals round us.
What’s in your meals truck menu? Why did you select this delicacies?
Our menu is fully dessert-focused, which instantly units us aside. We serve four-inch mini cheesecakes — every a few half-pound — in rotating, one-of-a-kind flavors, together with our signature Cake Shakes made out of delicate serve blended with frosted cake. They’re wealthy, indulgent and designed to really feel like a deal with you do not come throughout on daily basis.
We selected dessert as a result of it offers us artistic freedom and permits us to ship one thing memorable. Folks perceive tacos, barbecue or corn canine — however dessert stops individuals of their tracks. It sparks curiosity. We hear it on a regular basis: “I’ve by no means seen something like this earlier than.”
Cheesecake, particularly, is a dessert individuals love however not often count on to see performed this fashion at a meals truck. Our background in meals science and product improvement additionally performs an enormous position — we strategy each taste deliberately, from the crust up, ensuring it is balanced, prime quality and constant.
Dessert creates emotion. Folks do not simply eat dessert as a result of they’re hungry — they eat it as a result of they’re celebrating, enjoyable or treating themselves. Being a part of that second is extremely rewarding. Dessert brings individuals collectively, sparks dialog and leaves an enduring impression.
Do you make all of the meals on the truck or do you utilize home-based kitchen or commissary area?
We do every part inside our vans!
What’s the very best a part of being a meals truck operator?
The very best a part of being a meals truck operator is attending to create pleasure in actual time. We’re not simply serving dessert — we’re a part of individuals’s celebrations, date nights, concert events and on a regular basis “deal with your self” moments. Watching somebody take their first chew and say, “Wow, I’ve by no means had something like this earlier than,” by no means will get outdated. There’s one thing actually particular about constructing one thing with your loved ones, serving your neighborhood and seeing individuals genuinely completely happy due to what you created.
Proudly owning a meals truck has allowed us to construct a enterprise collectively whereas nonetheless being current for our daughter. We get to work aspect by aspect, set our personal tempo, and present her what it seems to be wish to work arduous for one thing you like. That steadiness is extremely significant to us. We aren’t boxed into a standard menu or brick-and-mortar expectations. We get to dream up flavors, experiment, and convey one thing really distinctive to occasions.
When individuals inform us they’ve by no means seen — or tasted — something like what we do, it reminds us why we selected this path. Each occasion is completely different, each crowd is completely different and we get to be a part of moments individuals bear in mind — all whereas doing one thing we love.
What is the worst a part of working a meals truck?
The unpredictability. Climate, attendance, timing and logistics can change every part right away. You’ll be able to plan completely and nonetheless be on the mercy of rain or a last-minute occasion change. That mentioned, we have discovered to remain versatile, problem-solve shortly and roll with it — abilities that serve us far past the meals truck world.
What classes have you ever discovered since launching the truck?
Flexibility is every part. Irrespective of how nicely you intend, one thing will change — climate, crowds, tools, timing. We have discovered to adapt shortly, keep calm underneath stress, and make good selections on the fly. We have additionally discovered that consistency issues. Displaying up ready, skilled and optimistic builds belief with clients and occasion organizers alike.
Is there something you’ll have performed in a different way firstly?
We’d have charged extra sooner and trusted the worth of our product. Like many small companies, we initially frightened about pricing ourselves too excessive. Over time, we realized that what we provide is exclusive, premium and value it. We have discovered that not each occasion is the proper match — and that saying “no” is simply as necessary as saying “sure.”
Any ideas/recommendation to others pondering of launching a meals truck?
Know your numbers and know your why. It is easy to deal with the enjoyable components — the menu, the truck, the branding — however understanding prices, pricing and profitability is what retains you in enterprise long-term. On the identical time, you must really love what you are doing. Meals truck life is difficult work, and fervour is what carries you thru the lengthy days. Chances are you’ll not know the place to begin or the means to get there, however I might encourage anybody to comply with their desires. The meals truck neighborhood has been welcoming and supportive. We’re very very similar to a household. Everyone seems to be keen to share data and useful ideas.
Do you’ve got any anecdotes about operating a meals truck — any distinctive interactions or particular occasions you’ve got been booked at?
We have been fortunate to be a part of some really unforgettable occasions. Probably the most distinctive experiences has been serving Delta Airways workers — which incorporates driving our meals truck proper onto the airport tarmac whereas planes are actively taking off round us. It is not on daily basis you get to serve cheesecake in the course of an airport runway.
We have additionally had the chance to serve at St. Paul Saints video games, the place we truly drive our truck onto the outfield. Being surrounded by a stadium filled with followers whereas serving dessert is an unimaginable expertise and one thing we by no means take without any consideration.
These occasions actually stand out as a result of they remind us how surprising and enjoyable this job will be — at some point we’re at a neighborhood occasion, and the following we’re serving cheesecake on a tarmac or inside a baseball stadium. It is fairly surreal and really cool.
We have additionally had numerous moments the place clients inform us they deliberate their complete night time round discovering our truck, or that our cheesecake grew to become a practice at their favourite occasion. These moments remind us why we do that.
We have additionally been invited again 12 months after 12 months to many occasions, which is among the largest compliments we are able to obtain.
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