June 29, 2021

A food truck featuring homemade offerings makes its debut tonight.

Kota Cafe will be at Food Truck Tuesday at Golf Addiction serving sliders, hot dogs, chili dogs, popcorn chicken that’s hand-battered and fried, and chicken bites that are marinated and grilled. Diners can get a salad with chicken.

Owner Renee Standish makes hand-cut and hand-battered fries, pickles and jalapenos. The fries can be topped with cheese and chili. Other sides include homemade baked beans and coleslaw, and she makes her own ranch dressing.

“It’s been a long, long process,” Standish said of getting her business started. She bought the former Kabab King truck this spring after that business grew into a bricks-and-mortar location on East 10th Street.

She also delivered her fourth child in April.

“Actually, I’ve always wanted a restaurant,” Standish said. “I feel this is the way to try to see if my food is worthy of a restaurant, and it’s a lot cheaper way to get into it.”

Kota Cafe had a soft opening Friday, but Standish is counting tonight as her official opening.

The food truck will be at Food Truck Tuesday at 57th Street and Marion Road most weeks and is booked for concerts at Levitt at the Falls on July 15 and twice in August.

It’s available for other events, and once Standish goes back to her full-time job as a store manager in mid-July, she’ll take bookings for nights and weekends.

“In the meantime, I plan on doing lunches at businesses too,” she said.

Standish plans to keep Kota Cafe’s schedule updated on Facebook and Instagram — @kotacafesf.

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