A Pocatello staple in the dining industry is adding a new piece of equipment to its arsenal that will put some of its menu items into the mouths of a much larger audience.
The management staff at Mama Inez is planning to open a new food truck that will bring its food to both Pocatello and Idaho Falls, says owner Brandon Burtenshaw.
“This is something we’ve been excited about for a long time,” Burtenshaw said.
This truck will be the restaurant’s third location in addition to the brick and mortar restaurants in both Pocatello and Chubbuck.
Burtenshaw said the idea to open a food truck came from his late father, Brad Burtenshaw, who passed away in July 2021.
“It was my dad’s idea,” he said. “He mentioned it before he passed away. He said it was the next step for Mama Inez.”
Burtenshaw said the plan for the food truck is to use it in other East Idaho cities outside of Pocatello and Chubbuck. He explained Mama Inez has several patrons from Idaho Falls who travel to Pocatello regularly for Mama Inez and now Mama’s can come to them instead.
“We’ll try to be in Idaho Falls three or four times a week,” he said. “The main focus is going to get some saturation into the Idaho Falls market.”
Burtenshaw also explained Mama’s goal is to eventually open more food trucks. They hope to sell franchise rights to qualified buyers that will be able to work within their schedules.
“This one is the test truck to see what works and what doesn’t,” he said. “That way I’ll have data to give to potential buyers.”
The menu for the truck will feature the 10 most popular items from Mama Inez, including their cheese crisps and chicken enchiladas.
“We’ll have a very limited menu,” he said. “We’ll start with our main staples and expand from there.”
Burtenshaw explained that so far, the process of getting the truck ready has been smooth and they have not run into any serious problems.
“It’s not done yet but we have all the equipment that we need,” he said. “We’re hoping to have it up and running by the end of September.”
People in Idaho Falls appear to be excited for the upcoming food truck, Burtenshaw said, adding that the restaurant’s page has received a ton of positive attention since a photo of the truck was posted there on Aug. 25.
“There’s such a big following in Idaho Falls that we thought ‘let’s bring Mama Inez to them,’” he said.
More information about Mama Inez’s new food truck can be found on their Facebook page at facebook.com/pocatellosbestmexican.