Those around Sacramento have probably seen this old Ford slinging pies at various breweries.
Cool Conversion
Vintage Ford trucks have a ton of appeal to a wide variety of folks - not just those of us that have Blue Ovals in our bloodstream. Many food truck owners and operators have recognized this fact in recent years and have sought out old Ford pickups as vessels for their business, a list that includes two former high-end Sacramento, California-based chefs - Jodie Chavious and Jane Anderson.
Photos: Jodie Chavious
Big Change
Chavious has spent years working as a chef at several acclaimed restaurants, but when the opportunity to sell pizza out of this old F-100 arose, she jumped at the chance. She currently hosts four pop-ups a week and seemingly enjoys the massive change of pace when compared to working in a busy, high-end restaurant.
Photos: Jodie Chavious
Rediscovering Passion
"I was like, 'oh, I really like this. This really makes me remember what I love about cooking,'" Chavious told The Sacramento Bee. "I got to create a menu, change it every day if I wanted and make food fun again, which hadn't really been its role for a long time."
Photos: Jodie Chavious
Simple Setup
Chavious purchased the old F-100 for $7,500 after spending some time helping a former colleague sling pizzas at a bi-weekly pop-up. She started her outings back in January but changes up her menu frequently with fun themes every time. The setup is rather simple, too - Chavious merely uses two pizza ovens sitting in the bed with a couple of tables to run the whole operation.
Photos: Jodie Chavious
Changing Lineup
That ever-evolving lineup includes a pizza with Brussels cut to look like swirling weather when a bomb cyclone made the news recently, as well as a Jason Momoa Mia Hawaiian pie when the actor and his wife made headlines for their decision to split up. Meanwhile, pastry chef Jane Anderson joins Chavious on Mondays to sell her sweet treats.
Photos: Jodie Chavious
Making It Fun
When she isn't hanging out at breweries, Chavious also uses her pizza pickup to cater events such as weddings. But no matter where she sets up, it seems as if she's truly enjoying the change of scenery. "When I'm working in a parking lot, my friends can come to say hi and I can talk with them, not like when you’re in a kitchen tucked away," Chavious said. "It brought back cooking to be this really fun thing again."
Photos: Jodie Chavious
Taking a Chance
Luckily, taking a chance truly paid off in this instance. "I was trying to figure out how I was going to keep working knowing that I don't want to go back to a restaurant, I don't wanna be inside," Chavious said. "It's a total blessing and maybe a little miracle that it supports me, and who could ask for anything more?"
Photos: Jodie Chavious
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