LOUISVILLE, Ky. — These past few days in Kentucky were hot. We’ve had several days of temps in the 90s.

We’re all feeling this heat wave. Now, add working over a hot griddle to the mix and you’ve got a taste of what many food truckers in the state deal with right now.

What You Need To Know

  • According to one food truck owner, the temperature reached 101 degrees at one point inside her food truck

  • Two food truck owners shared they are doing everything they can to stay cool, including running fans, staying hydrated and taking breaks 

  • Despite the heat, these food truck operators press on and keep their businesses running

  • Louisville Metro’s Alcoholic Beverage Control office says right now, over 200 mobile food vendors operate in Jefferson County

That’s the case for 28-year-old Alexis Addision, who co-owns Mini Mai’s Thai, a Thai food truck that is an extension of her grandmother’s brick-and-mortar restaurant, Mai’s Thai, in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Addison said that’s been open 23 years. The food from Addison’s truck is special. It’s her grandmother, Mai’s, recipes.

“The food is special because it’s true authentic. We don’t Americanize. We use some local, but we import stuff in. We don’t short-cut anything. We don’t short-cut ingredients. All of our sauces are made from scratch,” explained Addison.

Addison and her work partner dress lighter to keep cool during the heat wave blanketed the region. They’ve got fans running and they stay hydrated with Gatorade. Still, inside the truck, it is incredibly hot.

“Well, this little gauge here tells you the temperature. Right now, it’s 94 degrees inside the truck,” Addison said as she pointed out a digital thermometer gauge hung up inside the truck.

“I’ve seen it, I think Sunday, it was at 101 degrees. So, it’s gotten pretty hot. But, we make the most of it. We don’t spend too many hours inside the truck. We do take breaks on and off the truck just to make sure we’re not getting light-headed,” she shared.

Just a few steps away, Alejandro Sanchez is cooking up food he grew up eating. He owns the Las Catrinas food truck. Born and raised in Mexico City, he came to the U.S. about 30 years ago for a better life for his family. It’s hot inside his truck, too.

He’s got air conditioning too, but it doesn’t work. He’s got a big fan as well, but it unfortunately just pushes the hot air from the grill. It’s either the fan or the window to keep cool.

“Uh-huh, that’s it. It’s a little bit hot, but it’s OK. You have to make your money,” Sanchez explained.

That’s exactly why these food truckers will brave as many hot days as they have to.

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