The Greater Spokane Food Truck Association and EWU have paired up to deliver a delicious collection of food trucks on campus, five days a week.

The Food Truck Plaza is located between Monroe and Showalter Hall. The food trucks are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday through Friday. The trucks will also be available at the the home football games.

“The idea of food trucks being able to offer quality food, while also upholding health department standards, is rapidly becoming a norm in today’s society,” according to the Greater Spokane Food Trucks Association website. “Until recently, however, there were no groups or associations in Spokane that continuously advocated, promoted and encouraged the growth of food trucks in our community.”

The initial reason the food trucks are on campus is because the PUB is under reconstruction.

“Because of the elimination of the retail services that existed at the PUB, we decided to bring in the food trucks,” said Dave McKay, Director of Dining and Catering Services. “Last January when the PUB was closed and phased up we worked out a license agreement with the Greater Spokane Food Truck Association and licensed for them to bring three food trucks. We can bring more on but there hasn’t been enough business yet to mandate having more than just the three.”

Though last winter was hard and it was the food trucker’s first time catering at EWU, they powered through the rough weather in order to serve faculty and students. The Food Truck Plaza has made some improvements to accommodate eating since then.

“If you can remember last winter it was rainy and snowy, they were troopers to be out there everyday trying to set up,” said McKay. “Because of the weather we weren’t able to get the tent and the patio built until late in the spring. So this fall we opened up with that and a couple tables people can hang out at and use when visiting the food trucks.”

Once the PUB is open again, there will be some ideas in place that might allow for the food trucks to stay or return again on occasion.

“At that point we will have to revisit that situation and what we have tried to look at with the construction of the PUB is to put some electrical hookups up at the upper terrace level, so that if we did want to bring in the food trucks in for a special event or a day-to-day thing there would be a spot for them that would be very convenient,” said McKay. “So we’re making provisions for it but I am not certain on how that will play out.”

Not every campus provides food trucks, and with this unique addition there are many benefits.

“I think it’s good in this situation because the PUB is closed and we took away a lot of the services to the campus,” said McKay. “It really is filling a vacancy whether it’s a food truck or a nice little bistro. I think those just add to the ambiance and the experience on campus.”

Mac Daddy’s Gourmet Grub is one of the current food trucks in the plaza. They provide a variety of different mac and cheese options. The employees enjoy serving EWU students five days a week.

“I guess because I’m closer to this number of individual’s age group it’s a little more relaxed versus when you’re serving parents and kids,” said Will Currie, employee at Mac Daddy’s. “It’s just a little more chill.”

Their assortment of mac and cheese inhibits a wide range of flavors, perfect for all kinds of cravings.

“It’s all really good, it just depends if you like hot and spicy or if you just want bacon mac and cheese,” said Currie. “My favorite is the buffalo because you can’t go wrong with it. It tastes like hot wings, so you get chicken and mac and cheese together with buffalo sauce. It’s just good.”

Besides EWU, you can find Mac Daddy’s all over. Since Hoopfest to now they’ve catered over 80 events, from Seattle to Coeur d’Alene.

“Right now we are at Harvest House up on Green Bluff, we are going to be up there until it’s done,” said Currie. “Then, as far as everywhere else we kind of bounce around. This location though, at EWU, is pretty solid.”

Students are encouraged to go out and try the food trucks.

“Mac Daddy’s is just a great macaroni and cheese,” said McKay. “It’s street food, and street food is interesting … I think it’s a nice variety and it has its own bit of culture. I think the vendors we have out there do a great job. We’re glad to have them here and hopefully the students try them. It’s amazing for me to talk to people that still don’t know we have food trucks out here or know where they are at.”