Conversations with Zac Phillips

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zac Phillips.

Hi Zac, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
The idea for a food truck had been in the back of my mind for years, but it was just a fun thing to think about doing. Like many people, the world stopped a couple of years ago, and we had a lot of idle time to think about what was next. I was furloughed from my job for 7 months. It was during that time that I started thinking about what I wanted to be doing. What started as a joking conversation with my wife and some friends became a serious conversation about how we could do it. I went back to my job, but the ideas were flowing. I started to research, joining groups, how much food trucks cost, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Then a few months after returning to work, we decided to start the food truck. It was something that we thought we would do on my days off or after work a couple of nights a week as a backup career or something to have in place for when we retire. A business that the family could do together. Because of that, It took some time to research truck builders in the valley and around the country, and we were fortunate enough to find another local food trucker, TJ Sherwood of Different Smokes BBQ, who built food trucks and he did the build-out on our trailer. It was great having another food truck owner who is also a contractor. While he did the build on the trailer, he helped us with the things we didn’t know. I thought the trailer was the hard part. Navigating the licensing processes and meeting regulations was a whole other world.

We officially launched Mr. Munchies (@mrmunchiesaz) with a soft opening at the end of August 2021. We had no idea what to do first. We started just trying to do pop-ups close to home. That was when real education began—learning how to run our trailer with customers, finding places to go, networking, and trying to make a name for ourselves. Entering any business is difficult, but the food business is a whole other matter. For the first few weeks, I think I had my wife worried that we may have made a big mistake. We struggled and learned a lot of lessons. Eventually, we started to make some headway, and next thing you know, we were way busier than we ever expected. Once the weather started to cool, business began to heat up. I worked my job full time, then would pick up the trailer and head out to whatever event we were doing.

In January of 2022, my wife and I decided that I would quit my job and do this full-time. This was a major decision for us. I have been blessed to have my family and some good friends help us run the trailer. I am very grateful for all the support I have received from them and our amazing customers. Having someone come to the order window and tell us they drove 45 minutes across town to wherever we are because they were craving our food or sharing a pic and tagging us on their social media is the best compliment for us.

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?
Smooth? No. More like I-10, always under construction. However, after getting through this first year, knowing what we know now versus when we first decided to start this venture, it is so much better. When we first started, we didn’t know that whenever we saw food trucks parked somewhere, there was an event organizer that helped them get that booking or a special permit was required. We had no idea how to book the big events around town or even the small ones. We were winging it and learning from the other food truck owners we would meet along the way. The cool thing about this business is there are a lot of really great food trucks, and it is a very small community. Once you get plugged into this community, everyone is very helpful. We have made some good friends this past year.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Because we were starting this to be part-time, we wanted to do something that would be fun for people to eat, but you can’t just go to a drive-thru somewhere and pick up. We decided on Mini Donuts and Corndogs. Our Mini Donuts are made fresh to order right there when you order them. We started with some basic toppings and added many more flavor combinations. We have more that we will be launching when the season officially kicks off next month. We only use premium ingredients for our toppings. Our Corndogs are not like others around town either. They are Hand-Dipped fresh to order using a real cornbread batter and only 100% all beef premium hotdogs. Like the donuts, we added different variations of the corndogs as well. Once we did the truck full time, we also started doing specials such as a mini donut plate with fresh smoked pulled pork topped with homemade coleslaw, cheese bombs, and other seasonal donut specials. There are going to be some new fun specials coming this season.

Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Go into this with realistic expectations. This business is a lot more time-consuming than you initially thought. Sometimes it feels like you are working two or three jobs. You will wear many hats, but it is also fun. I have not regretted my decision at any point this last year. If you want to get a food truck, I suggest joining some groups on Facebook; there are many really good ones for people wanting to learn what to expect. Try different food trucks, ask questions, and look at different truck and trailer designs. The more information you have before you start, the fewer surprises you will have.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mrmunchiesaz.com
• Instagram: @mrmunchiesaz
• Facebook: @mrmunchiesaz
• Twitter: @mrmunchiesaz