It's four food trucks in one for this popular South Jersey business
Every time I started to write this story, I had the following earworm:
“Jeremiah was a … food truck … ‘’
Actually, Jeremiah is not a food truck. He is the man behind not one, not two, but four food trucks that share the same set of wheels. His name is on the truck. Which, now that I think about it, means he sort of is a food truck.
Food trucks may be ubiquitous these days, but they are no fad for Jeremiah Bodner.
The Winslow Township eighth-grade history teacher is the son of a South Jersey legend – the Hot Dog Man of Haddonfield. Food carts helped feed his family as a kid; food carts helped him through college. And today, it is a food truck that helps to support his family and feed his dreams.
He has taught for 21 years and is best known as The Cheesesteak Guy. Today, he is the owner of Jeremiah’s Custom Cuisine food truck and catering business, which recently made the leap to a bigger rig. The outsized food truck is hard to miss — it's huge, painted black and licked with red flames, the company’s name writ large.
Yet, this food truck is a bit of a chameleon, as it is really four food trucks in one, changing cuisines and signage to suit the occasion, whether that be a street festival, brewery visit, food truck event or catering gig.
The Jeremiah’s Custom Cuisine slogan? “We bring the kitchen to you.’’
This week, they will be bringing it to Haddonfield Night Market on Thursday and Duffield’s Field’s Food Truck and Apple Festival on Saturday.
Son of a hot dog man
Waiting out a downpour at a Berlin coffee shop recently, Bodner explained that the food truck business is in his blood. “I got into this through my father, who actually was one of the pioneers of the hot dog carts in Philly in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s,’’ says Bodner.
He became known beyond the range of his hot dog cart locations when he battled the borough of Haddonfield over attempts to keep him from setting up in town, citing complaints from local merchants.
“He had a pretty big court case,’’ Bodner recalls. “Kings Highway was a popping spot, still is. And he would set up his hot dog cart there and people would be cursing at him and also thanking him for his service!’’
A state Superior Court judge ruled in 1989 that Bodner could continue to peddle his dogs, albeit with some restrictions. He has since retired to Del Rey Beach, Florida, and passed on the hot dog cart legacy to his son.
Behind the wheel
Today, the younger Bodner is the one ordering the dogs, along with ingredients to power all four versions of his business – The Cheesesteak Guy, The Slider King, Los Gringos Street Tacos and The Original Weenie Man.
“Working on the hot dog cart, I knew I wanted to teach,’’ he says. “I fell in love with history. The cart was a nice supplement in the summer and on weekends. I sacrificed a large part of my life working seven days a week,’’ he recalls. “I do wish I could get a little bit of that back …
“It’s a very tough industry obviously because of the weather first and foremost, and it’s a lot of hard work. It can be a lot of fun, but there is also a lot of worry. When your staff is coming home with this guy (he gestures to the truck getting poured on out in the coffee shop parking lot), and it's 1 in morning, your night’s sleep is affected by that, as is your spouse.’’
In addition to a front-row seat to the food truck business, Bodner also credits his success to the team of employees who keep Jeremiah’s Custom Cuisine on the road.
“I have an awesome staff, and I would not be anywhere without them. I’m lucky to have them to handle this while I am focused on my (teaching) career from September to June.’’
As many as 10 people, most with other jobs, keep the business going, working nights and weekends, serving sliders, tacos, hot dogs and cheesesteaks throughout the region, he says.
“They are very proud of the business that they have helped to curate and grow, and I’m very humbled by their effort and hard work.’’
Out on his own, Bodner says he began selling hot dogs at the Collingswood May Fair in the late ‘90s.
This past May, the business took a big leap forward, launching a much larger, refurbished food truck, as opposed to the food trailer that hit the road in 2007 selling only cheesesteaks and sausage-and-pepper sandwiches.
“We outgrew the trailer, and it became harder and harder to operate the way we wanted to with it,’’ he says of the decision to get a customized truck. “It definitely was a leap of faith.’’
Plans for the truck incubated during the post-holiday months when the food truck business is mostly dormant. “It was finished in May, and it was a lot of work. It was one of those things were I really was trying not to make a mistake in building it.’’
Four in one
Unlike most food trucks, this one changes to suit the occasion in which it finds itself.
“That separates me a little bit with regard to how I approach what I want to accomplish,’’ Bodner says. “I have another theme planned, but that’s a job for (planning) in the wintertime.’’
One example is Dad’s Deli in Evesham, where he purchases pulled chicken and pork. “He does a phenomenal job,’’ Bodner says. “When I got involved with him, the product quality took a big leap. We get rave reviews on both our chicken and our pork.’’
New to the business this season is a Los Gringos Taco Salad, the creation of one of his chefs. “We focus a lot on a natural menu, and a vegan menu,’’ Bodner explains. “One of my chefs came up with it, and it’s gluten-free. I’m very proud of that.’’
In addition to his family, no one has helped Bodner more than his longtime manager, Rick Morgenstern of Marlton, who handles the day-to-day details that allow Bodner to be a teacher.
“I have such a phenomenal staff that allows me to mostly work behind the scenes.’’
Here is a look at the four incarnations of Jeremiah’s Custom Cuisine:
The Cheesesteak Guy: Serves Philly or chicken cheesesteaks, The Veg soy-based cheesesteak, pork sandwiches, sausage and peppers, The New Yorker hot dog and Monster Potato Chip Nachos. Like all versions of the truck, this menu also offers sides and Hawaiian shaved ice.
Loco Gringos Street Tacos Express: Serves a variety of tacos including barbocoa, chorizo, carnitas, Korean beef barbecue, shrimp, cheesesteak, veggie and vegan, as well as Monster Nachos.
The Slider King: Serves sliders including pulled-porch, cheesesteak, barbecue chicken, beef brisket, barbecue shrimp, Korean beef, barbecue vegetarian and vegan, as well as Monster Potato Chip Nachos.
The Original Weenie King: Serves All-Beef Sabrett Hot Dogs, hot sausage, pulled pork sandwiches.
Our Services
Corporate Catering
Loco Gringo's Street Taco Express
The Cheesesteak Guy
slider King
Eclectic Catering
Contact Us
Jeremiah’s Custom Cuisine
255 Berlin - Cross Keys Rd
Berlin, NJ 08009
Phone: 856-495-4694
Official Site: http:/jccfoods.com
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