A former auto mechanic is hoping his grandmother’s spaghetti and meatballs will be the recipe for success as a food truck operator.
Tony Battistello and his wife Dani are launching
Little Italy on Wheels Sept. 3. They’ll take the food truck to a number of metro stops, including Union Station, Metro Center and McPherson Square, and post the locations each day on Facebook and Twitter.
The entrepreneur went to culinary school after as his work on luxury cars dried up during the recession. But his work as a mechanic came in handy nonetheless. He refurbished an old box truck and installed the floorboards, electrical equipment and plumbing. Battistello says he is spending about $47,000 of his personal savings on the venture.
With his expertise in four-wheeled vehicles and his experience working in restaurants in his younger days, Battistello says he thought the food truck business seemed like a good fit for him. He is drawing on inspiration from his Italian heritage in preparing dishes like fettuccine alfredo. He’ll also serve lobster ravioli, vegetarian pastas, fresh bread and biscotti.
"We reesearched the food industry and found that Italian food was the number one food that people eat when they dine out," Battistello says. With his car experience and family recipes, an Italian restaurant on wheels seemed like a good fit.