dwstreeteatery

D&W's Street Eatery celebrates National Taco Day

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 15:13:23 GMT

Originally Published By Mid Michigan Now 25 FOX 66

D&W's Street Eatery celebrates National Taco Day

FLINT, Mich. -- It's National Taco Day!

Michigan native Dana Ahrenberg always knew she wanted to own her own restaurant and found a way to feed people across the state.

D&W's Street Eatery & Events specializes in tacos but has even more on the menu.

She visited the station to "taco bout" the holiday and family business.

Food for thought

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 15:13:20 GMT

Originally Published By Tri-County Times, Fenton

Food For Thought

Councilman Scott Grossmeyer brought up the idea of a food truck ordinance at the June 3 Fenton City Council work session.

According to the minutes of that meeting, Grossmeyer advised there is a food truck operating within the city at this time. He shared several possible options regarding a food truck ordinance.

Grossmeyer said when the owners of (unnamed) restaurants were asked about food trucks being allowed outside of events, they were split 50/50.

After some discussion, it was agreed that Mayor Sue Osborn would seek direction from the city attorney.

In the meantime, the food truck operating in the city of Fenton is D&W’s Street Eatery & Events, a member of the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce. It is owned by Dana Ahrenberg, a 2008 graduate of Fenton High School. She started the business a year ago, in July 2018. Although she operates her business throughout mid-Michigan, Ahrenberg is a lifetime resident and homeowner in the city of Fenton. A single mother, the D in D&W’s is Dana and the W’s are for her daughters Wesley, 5, and Wiley, 8.

“I’ve been working in the restaurant industry since I was 14 and managing restaurants since I was 18 with a dream of owning my own someday,” she said. The food truck business has been a great start for bigger opportunities.

“Since I started my company it has rapidly grown, becoming known throughout lower Michigan,” Ahrenberg said. “We serve Latin-American BBQ specializing in smoked gourmet street tacos, and more including vegan-friendly and gluten-free options.”

D&W Street Eatery & Events operates mostly at locally known breweries, dealerships and small businesses during the week. “Then farmers markets, festivals and special events usually on the weekends,” she said.

“We love catering,” Ahrenberg said. “We do many open houses, weddings and private parties throughout the year, operating all four seasons. We operate an average of six to seven days a week in a different city every day, from Grand Rapids to Detroit.”

Ahrenberg strongly disagrees with those who say food trucks take away from brick and mortar restaurants.

“I believe food trucks draw more attention to businesses, including restaurants,” she said.

Food trucks usually operate for limited times, once or twice a week — usually only for a few hours — making themselves more of a treat than a place to get a consistent meal like at a restaurant, a primary place to dine, she said.

“Food trucks create a unique dynamic while providing something fun to do. Our personal focus with D&W’s is to support family businesses and give back to the community,” Ahrenberg said. “I believe food trucks are an asset.”

Mark Hamel is the co-owner of The Laundry, El Topo, Fenton Relief & Resource (speakeasy) and CRUST, a baking company, all in downtown Fenton.

Regarding food trucks, Hamel said, “On busy holidays, I don’t think it affects restaurants since there are so many additional people in town. I don’t think food trucks would have hurt anyone on the Fourth of July because so many additional people were in town. But on regular non-holiday or non-event days I think you could make a case that it takes away from restaurant sales, some more than others.

“For example, it might affect El Topo more than The Laundry since El Topo is similar to a food truck and The Laundry attracts more people that want to sit down, which is the same for the other downtown restaurants,” Hamel said. “Additionally it would not affect the speakeasy and bars at all. Many restaurateurs are against them because of the overhead and sales issue. I guess most would not want more competition given the option. However, I think there is a place for them. People love them and they attract people to town and create a fun atmosphere, which is a good thing.

“As the town grows and becomes more of a destination, food trucks will come knocking — they already have,” Hamel said. “It is something people are used to seeing in towns like Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Brighton. Maybe it is not a question of ‘whether’ they can come into town but ‘when’ they can come into town, such as when there is a significant population increase.”

Future trends

According to an IBISWorld report, the food truck industry alone is projected to hit $1.1 billion in 2022, but the report also shows a slowing down in the industry. Where growth was at 7.3 percent up to 2017, it is now expected to stay at about 3 percent through 2022 due to increased competition and enforced municipal regulations.

While many food truck owners are expanding their mobile operations, there are others with years of branding under their belts converting their mobile businesses into brick and mortars — and they are keeping their food trucks.

On the flip side, many restaurant owners are enhancing their brick-and-mortar operations by adding food trucks, using their vehicles to focus on private events.

Source: Acitydiscount.com

Michigan’s Best Local Eats: D&W’s Street Eatery provides Latin American BBQ

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 20:24:14 GMT

Originally Published By Mlive.com

D&W's Street Eatery

Food Review: D&W’s Street Eatery

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 14:37:55 GMT

Originally Published By Lasco Press

When you are at work, going out to grab some lunch can sometimes be a hassle. Deadlines, meetings, and just being busy with customers can fill a complete day’s schedule. Next time the monthly calendar starts to fill up, consider having lunch brought to you.

On-Site Food Truck Services

Meet Dana Ahrenberg, Owner/Operator of D&W’s Street Eatery . Maybe you have seen the Red Taco Truck around town. If you frequent the local restaurant scene, you have probably met Dana as well. A Fenton native, Dana says she has worked in the food service industry all her life. As a 16-year-old she waited tables at Mega Coney Island . Most recently Dana was the manager of The Barn , Fenton’s popular bar and grill at U.S. 23 and Torrey Road.

We caught up to Dana at Lasco Ford where she was parked just off Owen Road. Between customers on the lot, employees, and drive-by cars pulling in for lunch, the truck was busy. According to Dana, “We are fortunate to have a number of loyal customers who follow us around. We do a lot of dealerships, farmer’s markets, breweries, and other local businesses. The truck travels all over Mid-Michigan. Of course, summers are the busiest time, we are currently booking into 2020. But, we operate year round, even in the snow.”

Not Your Average Taco Truck

Tacos and burritos are their specialties. The food is awesome, I tried a smoked pork burrito and a chicken taco. Well seasoned, but not overly spicy, with a good combination of toppings. You can add some heat with Jalapeños and an assortment of hot sauces from the truck’s collection.

Vegan and gluten-free options are available. Including a squash taco that drew rave reviews from a truck guest. D&W’s Street Eatery is not just your average taco truck. They serve desserts. Donuts, elephant ears, and other sweet treats are prepared hot and fresh. Plus, they offer full catering services. With Dana’s experience in food service, they can cater to a company picnic, wedding, any event, any size crowd. Not just Mexican food staples but options as diverse as prime rib, steaks, fried chicken, and BBQ.

Schedule a Visit

Contact Dana at dwstreeteatery@gmail.com or call 810-347-7729 to schedule a truck visit. Check out the standard menu options or talk to her about catering your next event. Obviously, the D in D&W’s is Dana. But what about the W’s? Daughters Wesley and Wiley, 4 and 7 are for the W’s. This single mom hopes one day to turn the business over to her 2 girls. All the best Dana, you're off to a great start.

dwstreeteatery

D&W's Street Eatery celebrates National Taco Day

Originally Published By Mid Michigan Now 25 FOX 66

D&W's Street Eatery celebrates National Taco Day

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Food for thought

Originally Published By Tri-County Times, Fenton

Food For Thought

Michigan’s Best Local Eats: D&W’s Street Eatery provides Latin American BBQ

Originally Published By Mlive.com

D&W's Street Eatery

Food Review: D&W’s Street Eatery

Originally Published By Lasco Press

On-Site Food Truck Services

Not Your Average Taco Truck

Schedule a Visit