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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 M AY 1 7 , 2 0 2 1 S M A L L B U S I N E S S Statewide scene e food truck scene goes well beyond Portland and extends statewide, with 526 mobile businesses currently regis- tered with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, accord- ing to spokeswoman Jackie Farwell. In Auburn, married couple Randy and Deborah Smith own a poutine restaurant called Pinky D's inside Side by Each Brewing and a food truck of the same name specializing in the Canadian dish of French fries with cheese curds and gravy. ey started in food trucks 10 years ago in Portland when there were just a handful, and are about to roll out a new truck called L/A Taco — as in Lewiston- Auburn and Los Angeles. at's where they did their research in December, eating at taco shops in East L.A. to truly understand traditional street tacos, which they plan to serve, and the vibes around street-food culture. Undeterred by the growing field of food-truck rivals, Randy Smith says, "Our goal as an organization is always to get better and keep moving forward." ey're expanding after being forced to shift gears during COVID with their existing truck, when they lost business at live events that had been cancelled but picked up several new customers as they also aim to do with their taco venture. "We're all excited to do it because it's different," says Randy Smith. "It might be better or it might be worse [than Pinky D's], but it's going to be fun." Meanwhile in Bar Harbor, Alexis Walls and Amanda Smith recently put their food truck on pause to open a small eatery on Main Street with the same name, Melt, and simi- lar menu of mainly sandwich melts. But the truck won't be in hiberna- tion forever. "Ultimately," Walls says, "we'd love to see the bricks and mortar in place and also a food truck." R e n e e C o r d e s , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s Maine's credit unions are here for you. mainecreditunions.org Discover a better financial future. You want a financial partner that appreciates the importance of small, local businesses and their impact on the community. Maine's credit unions are focused on providing the support you need with conveniences like mobile and online banking, along with low fees, favorable rates, and personal service you can depend on every day. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Randy Smith, shown here at the Pinky D's Poutine Factory truck he runs with his wife, also has an Auburn restaurant of the same name. The couple is getting ready to launch another truck, L/A Taco, to serve East Los Angeles-style street tacos. F O C U S

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