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Right before Desmond Mays’ grandmother passed away, she gave his mom her blue apron. “My mom said, ‘Your grandmother wanted you to have this,’” Desmond says. “None of that made any sense to me.” That was about eight years ago, long before Desmond even considered making a living as a chef. Now, he’s the proud owner of Champ-Ian Food Truck, and the founder of the first food truck park in Normangee.
“So at an early age, I started seeing that I can get excitement out of people being happy, and food was bringing people happiness,” Desmond says. This led to him host barbecues for his football buddies and later, to start his own food truck a few months before COVID spread across the country in 2020.
Since Desmond is Texan and his partner, Linda Tran, is Asian, they decided to blend the two cultures in order to create their unique cuisine for Champ-Ian Food Truck. Patrons can nosh on signature dishes like their Game-Changer Wontons stuffed with cream cheese, bacon, jalapeno, and shrimp, or Mama Tran’s Famous Lo Mein with fresh veggies, tender Vietnamese brisket, and their proprietary sweet-and-spicy sauce.
Last September, Desmond took the bold step to bring more food truck opportunities to Normangee. Pantherland Food Truck Park was born, the name an homage to the town’s high school mascot. “I wanted the park to give Normangee something to take pride in,” he says.
Not all of the food trucks are permanent fixtures at Pantherland, like Champ-Ian. Among the more regular food trucks are La Famiglia Pizza, where diners can get a taste of Italy, and, during special events, JJ’s Snowcones, for a sweet-flavored shaved ice treat.
“We loved the vibe,” says Carol Moore of M&M Food Truck and Catering, one of the newer food trucks to Pantherland. “The park itself is amazing, the location was easy to find, and customers were really happy for us to be there,” she says. La Famiglia Pizza has been with the food truck since the beginning and shares similar sentiments, says co-owner Terry Koshis. “It’s a family-friendly environment with great food and music,” she says.
To beat the heat, some guests lounge in the shade underneath hammocks on the deck and others hang out sipping bottled beer or margaritas at the standing bar, a unique feature not found in most American food parks, according to Desmond. “I've been to a lot of food truck parks, and I’ve never seen one like ours,” he says.
Desmond admits there were experiences he missed out on as a child due to financial struggles, and he wanted to make sure that other kids didn’t have to go through that too. “I always wanted a big sandpit to play in. I didn't have it; Pantherland has it,” Desmond says. “I was about 11-years-old and we were at a carnival,” he remembers. “I wanted to get on a mechanical bull. Mom didn’t have enough money for me, and that's stuck with me, so now Pantherland has a mechanical bull.”
Desmond helps the children of Normangee, beyond the park fence by being involved in outreach projects. “I went back to the drawing board, and I thought, What can I do for the community to make these kids want to excel in their grades?” he says.
His solution was to start a raffle in order to provide kids with tools for learning that they might not be able to afford otherwise. “I want everybody to know that it starts with the kids,” Desmond emphasizes. For every good report card brought in, the kids would receive a raffle ticket to win prizes, such as a laptop or new shoes. “I’m a firm believer in having faith, and always trying to beat the odds,” he says. “If I can show one kid that they are able to be successful from a small town, my job is done.”
Desmond kept his grandmother’s apron, and it now hangs on the back wall of the food truck for everyone to see. “I’m a firm believer that she is looking over the business and she is helping us,” he says. “I ended up purchasing the food truck, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Facebook.com. Search: Pantherland Food Truck Park
