Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Cardarelli & Beau Weaver
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Our names are Beau and Stephanie and we own Thai It Up Food Truck, a family-owned mobile food unit based out of Akron, OH which serves fresh and authentic Thai food with a couple Chinese options. This is our second year in business, as we first opened our ‘window’, if you will, to the public back in May of 2023. Thai food is usually associated with being spicy; however, our menu accommodates all tastes! Our food has mostly minimal to no spice, but we can make it spicy if you like it that way! Though each entree comes with a description of how we would make it, customers are able to customize it to their liking by taking away or adding the items of their choice. Our menu is also gluten-free and vegetarian friendly.
Our chef Beau was born and raised in Thailand before moving to Ohio with his family at the age of 16. He began his craft at the age of ten and has been perfecting it ever since. Stephanie is a native to Ohio and graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. Upon graduating though, she found herself around the world, living and working in different places, before moving back to Ohio in 2019, where and when she met Beau. Before meeting Beau, one place she spent time living and working in was Thailand where she taught English in two different cities. It didn’t take long before she fell in love with all that Thailand had to offer and it became her home away from home. In September of 2019, Stephanie accidently stumbled upon Beau’s sister’s restaurant while searching for an authentic Green Curry, where she and Beau crossed paths and immediately connected over Beau’s homeland and Thai food. Fast forward a little bit and Beau and Stephanie eventually wedded, had a baby girl and eventually settled down in the Akron area. After multiple nudges from Stephanie and attempts at convincing Beau to share his gift with the world and not just her, he finally gave in and Thai It Up was soon born. The rest is history from that point forward.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not in the least bit! Our biggest struggles have been with the truck itself. From troubles with the original build to mechanical issues, it has been in the shop more times than we can count! We do not let it keep us down and out though, as we have commitments to keep and people to feed. With this in mind, we keep on, keepin’ on!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Thai It Up Food Truck specializes in serving authentic and appetizing Thai and Chinese food. We use fresh ingredients in each of our dishes and our sauces are concocted from homemade recipes. What sets us apart from other mobile food units is our unique branding and the specific cuisine that we serve, as there are not too many food trucks/trailers around (yet at least) serving what we serve.
Our aim is to bring each and every one of our customers a mouth-watering and enjoyable experience that keeps them coming back for more. If we aren’t serving our customers up with delicious, quality Thai food that leaves their bellies feeling pleasantly full by the end of it, then we aren’t doing our job!
We serve at events, festivals and city lunches all around the Akron, Cleveland and Canton areas. We can also be booked for private events such as corporate/company lunches, weddings, graduation parties, etc. The best way to reach us is via email @ thaiitup.foodtruck@gmail.com.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Beau knows all about cooking (he started cooking at the age of ten back in his homeland of Thailand) and not too much about business while Stephanie has a knack for all things business (and a degree in business management which helps) and a very minimal skillset in the kitchen. We balance each other out in this respect and realize we can’t have one without the other. This keeps us humble and appreciative towards each other and makes us a great team at the end of the day.
Pricing:
- Lunch pricing for entrees range from $14 to $17
- Dinner pricing for entrees range from $15 to $19
- Appetizers range from $5 to $8
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thaiitup.foodtruck
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thaiitupfoodtruck
