At a minute after noon on Nov. 26, Bon Appétit Management Company officially put the Soaring Eagle food truck into service. The occasion was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony beneath the Bell Tower, complete with balloons, music and free samples of the mobile kitchen’s fare.
Bon Appétit Biola’s general manager Steve Rall addressed the gathering of students, staff and faculty. He introduced the truck’s designer, sophomore cinema and media arts major Courtney Coker, and one of the students who submitted the winning name, sophomore human biology major Cameron Henry.
Coker — who “may or may not [have] designed it during class,” she said — revealed her inspiration for the design: the 2012 football uniforms for the University of Oregon Ducks.
After the short addresses, the ribbon was cut by Auxiliary Services senior director Don Sims, and the truck took its first orders.
Students, faculty and a special guest get a taste of the truck
The Chimes, EagleVision and Biola’s University Communications and Marketing weren’t the only media outlets at the event. Rob Hayes, general assignment reporter for KABC-7 Los Angeles, was also on the scene, doing a package for that evening’s broadcast.
“It’s a fun story,” said Hayes after recording his segment. “It’s nice to mix things up a bit … do a fun piece now and then.”
Hayes ordered a pan-seared wild salmon burger. His one-word impression?
“Fantastic,” he said. “It makes me laugh because, when I went to college, it was all deep-fried,” he said.
The free samples of lumpia — a vietnamese stuffed pastry similar to a spring roll, filled with sausage and served in a sweet chili sauce — went over well.
“I was very impressed with it,” said senior psychology major Jeremy Kozak, though his enthusiasm was not without reservations. “I’m hoping the quality stays like this, but I kind of doubt it.”
UCM web designer Steven Reynolds wondered aloud, “Why is [the food truck] on wheels?”
Reynolds asked, “It’s just going to stay [by Talbot East], right?” The short answer is: yes.
More payment methods and movement plans come together for Soaring Eagle
For now, the truck will remain near Talbot East for the rest of the semester, according to Bon Appétit Biola’s social media marketing manager Daniel Cruz.
However, Bon Appétit has asked for feedback from the campus to help them know where to send the truck to most effectively reach students and staff.
Presently, the truck accepts cash, flex, and student and faculty dollars only. In the next couple weeks, a Blackboard terminal will also be installed, letting debit and credit cards be used as well.
Tapingo ordering is already in place, and Rall confirmed that meal equivalency will kick in at Soaring Eagle next Monday.
Years of work come to fruition
The truck — formally owned by Biola but operated by Bon Appétit — was the result of two years of planning on the part of both Bon Appétit and Auxiliary Services.
Plans for the Meyers Hall reconstruction, the second phase of the Talbot expansion, call for a Wok-type cafe to be built there. Construction hasn’t yet begun, and likely won’t for some time. Soaring Eagle will help reach that region of campus in the meantime.
With Soaring Eagle offering Mongolian and other noodle bowls full-time, Eagles’ Nest will phase out its current Mongolian bowl Wednesdays at the end of the semester.
“Not that it was bad there before,” Cruz said. “But this is going to take things to a whole other level.”
Upgrades include moving to authentic shiitake mushrooms in lieu of the thick-cut bell mushrooms in use at Eagles. Everything is made entirely to order, whereas much of what is done at Eagles was fresh but still pre-made, Cruz said. This may increase wait times, but Bon Appétit thinks students will find it worth the wait.
“It's not slow out of ineptitude,” Cruz said. “It's slow because that's what it takes to do it right.”
