April 6, 2022

The longtime operator of a concessions trailer has added a food truck that specializes in carnival foods like walking tacos and corn dogs.

Mark Moore of Marc O’s Festival Foods did 22 events last year with the bright red truck beginning in July and has already started this season.

He expects one of his weekly lunch spots to be in the parking lot of Builder’s Millwork & Windows at 2310 E. 10th St., and there will be several appearances at events in the Sioux Falls area.

This week alone, he was at Dells Autos’ Food Truck Mondays in Dell Rapids, Dakota Pointe apartments for supper Tuesday, and he’ll be at Builder’s Millwork for lunch today, Rosenbauer in Lyons for lunch Thursday and Ace Hardware and Sturdevant’s in Madison for lunch Friday.

The menu often features Philly sandwiches, Indian tacos, walking tacos, super nachos, footlong corn dogs, cheese curds and his Taco Blizzard, which is a taco in a cup.

“Occasionally, we’ll have a special of the day,” Moore said. “It could be anything from specialty egg rolls to a specialty dessert. We’re going to try to mix it up. It’s a little big different game than doing the concessions. We’ll maybe need a little bigger variety with the food truck.”

Moore and his wife, Jane, started their concessions trailer over two decades ago.

“About 22 years ago, we were raising elk, and I was an engineer and I got corporate downsized, so I started selling elk burgers, brats and hot dogs full time at festivals and fairs.”

They added elk chislic – “that was my wife’s idea” – but eventually had to switch their menu as chronic wasting disease destroyed the elk industry.

“We’ve done about every fair food,” Moore said, noting that they’ve traveled to events as far away as Las Vegas over the years. Now, they’re focusing on eastern South Dakota.

They’ve kept the concessions trailer and will use that for larger events such as Yankton’s Riverboat Days and the Sioux Empire Fair “because with that, we can really put out a huge amount of food. We can fit five to six people in it, putting out food like crazy. The food truck is a three-man operation. You can only put out basically half as much.”

Moore also owns the Big Soo Coupon Book, which is in its 25th year. Customers can find discounts in there for Marc O’s and several other food trucks, along with restaurants, entertainment, auto repair and other shops and services.

“That book is all about being local and spending your money here in restaurants and shops rather than going up to Minneapolis or shopping online,” he said.

Moore keeps Marc O’s Facebook page updated with locations, and there’s also contact info there to book the truck for public or private events.