As Bob Mattax wriggled through the bureaucratic red tape, negotiated property zoning with the city and worked with the Muncie Police Department and health department, he realized that trail blazing had its prices. Muncie hadn’t been set up for a food truck to enter the picture, but he hopes to have cleared the way with his slop-slinging truck.
“Risk is just part of being a trailblazer; it’s something that’s always present,” Mattax said. “In Muncie, people haven’t taken this path yet.”
Slop on Top, Muncie’s first food truck, sits at Village Green Records, a fitting addition to the color-splashed record store and the eclectic out-of-truck, one-man barber shop that sits on the plot off of Martin Street. Village Green Records owner Travis Harvey described the decision to host Slop on Top as a no-brainer.
“This is Muncie’s first food truck, no way I’d want to miss out on the opportunity to be a part of this,” Harvey said.
INSIDE THE SLOP
Standing in the truck itself is like being in a full kitchen — gas stove, flat top grill, pots, pans, sinks and all — but shrunk to a fraction of the size. Storage proves to be a challenge, as the truck must fit the ingredients of Slop on Top’s 16 rotating recipes.
While the cuisine is on a rotation, the food follows a simple formula, “stuff on rice.” One day a customer can get Indian food and the next day come to the same spot and be on another continent of cuisine. Ethiopian, Mexican, Thai, classic American and vegan are on the menu.
Slop on Top manager and former Ball State student Christina McVay said that Slop on Top makes 30 servings per day, which on some days is not enough to match the amount of customers.
Mattax just finished making a deal with Lahody Meats, a local butcher shop on Wheeling Avenue. Once the farmers market opens, he plans to make that a source of ingredients.
“Food combines all groups of people,” Mattax said. “It’s a common ground, a unifying force.”
BECOMING MOBILE
Mattax is no restaurant raconteur — his experience extends to working at Pizza Hut in high school. The self-proclaimed tech-nerd graduated Ball State in 2003 with a master’s degree in computer science and is a software creator with a company in Indianapolis. The dramatic and risky change in career was one that grew with watching the Indianapolis food truck scene explode and pivoted on the notion of “that would be fun.”
It began with a potato chip delivery truck Mattax saw for sale on the side of the road in Yorktown, with bare aluminum walls and “Potato Chips” written in large print across the side.
The next two years Mattax spent single-handedly preparing the vehicle and installing equipment, at some points crawling around in elbow-deep in snow to install the truck’s plumbing. Once he hit the $15,000 mark in his investment, his life-savings tied up in the midst, he said he stopped keeping track.
After an estimated 500 hours, amidst the accusations of friends that he didn’t sleep enough, Mattax had a complete food truck and his dream became mobile. Finally in mid-March, among the still wintery weather, Slop on Top was ready to serve.
“After that first Friday in March, I sat at home and cried happy tears,” Mattax said. “It’s obtainable. I hope more people pursue their small business ideas. I want more people to pursue their food dreams.”
THE MOVEMENT
In September 2011, chow.com, an online food hub for Chow Magazine, ranked Muncie in the Top 10 for college towns with the worst food. Mattax wanted to see change and for Muncie to echo Indianapolis and other metropolitan cities where food trucks have become a part of the community.
“I want to see Muncie grow and expand,” Mattax said. “It’s about being the change you want to see. I’m a big believer in that.”
Kyle Johnson, GIS Coordinator at the Delaware County building, has walked to Slop on Top from work with coworkers twice since it opened.
“I wish we had more of these,” Johnson said. “It shows that Muncie is getting progressive and catching on to cultural trends in other cities.”
McVay estimates she sees up to 100 people bustling near the truck every day, crossing the intersection near Village Green Records. Her mission is to gain fans of Slop on Top, offering “stuff on rice” to the pedestrians below, which can be an obstacle where the barriers are headphone and skepticism.
“People are hesitant at first,” McVay said. “I think it’s because of the name. At first they are skeptical and then they try a free sample and you can just see the surprise on their face.”
During the 12 times the food truck has been out, Slop on Top has acquired more than 400 likes on their Facebook page and about 75 followers on Twitter. Mattax calls Slop on Top’s growing following the tip of the iceberg.
“I hope to inspire a whole new movement,” Mattax said. “Muncie has developed as a cool place for unique beers, but in 10 years it will be known for its interesting food and music scene.”
Eventually Mattax wants to make the area more food-truck friendly by building a commissary, or parking garage specifically for food trucks. He said that his plan is not to dominate the market, but create the market itself by getting more people involved.
“I am really happy with the title of Muncie’s first food truck,” Mattax said. “I wouldn’t be happy, though, if it were Muncie’s last food truck.”
