Melissa Bolton and Chris Bradbury have been serving high quality food out of the Chuck Wagon for the past month.

Melissa Bolton and Chris Bradbury have been serving high quality food out of the Chuck Wagon for the past month.

Chuck Wagon is back in business

Mexican cuisine is the mobile food truck's specialty

The Chuck Wagon has returned.

The mobile food truck first appeared in Hope in 2007 but disappeared after the Bolton family moved away to Mission.

Well, the Boltons are back and so is the wagon.

The family-based business  serves Mexican and western-style street foods in the Hope area.

Melissa Bolton, along with help from Chris Bradbury, is currently running the food truck for her parents.

“We have volunteered to kind of get it going for them until Mom gets back to work,” she said.

While the truck serves all kinds of food, Mexican cuisine is its specialty.

“My mom grew up in California, she’s part Mexican, and all the recipes are from her family,” explained Melissa.

Those recipes have been passed down to her.

Currently, the Chuck Wagon sets up shop across from the Christ Church Historic Site, on the corner of Fraser Street and Park Street. And while the first month has been successful, Melissa said she is always looking for other locations.

She has already considered going to the downtown farmer’s market and may travel to the Yale flea market in the summer months.

“After all we are a mobile business.”

Since the return, several old customers have rediscovered the chuck Wagon and Melissa said they are building up a clientele of new diners.

While keen to expand, the Chuck Wagon is currently open four days a week. She said the goal is to build up enough business to remain open year round.

But Melissa doesn’t plan to expand outside of the area.

“We want to be able to keep it local.”

Hope Standard