Hidden Gems: Meet Sonia Villanueva

Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg & Sonia Villanueva, Piacenza Food Trailer

Hi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
In January 2021, the planning started for mobile food service. We started planning our business in 2021 during the Covid crisis, due to the pandemic. I was given notice that my employer of 23 years was going to be terminating my employment. Greg continued to work full time, and work on our trailer on his off time. Greg has been a chef for over 30 years. We both have worked in the food industry and have experience with restaurant operations. A food truck has been my husband’s dream for 10+ years, and always wanted to be a fresh Italian truck. This was the time to make it happen. We took our life savings and began.

We purchased our trailer as a shell that had brakes and a fire suppression system installed by the dealer. We then purchased all the equipment and my husband installed it. The layout was set to help maximize the flow and help and speed of service. On June 26, we were fortunate to have a Friends and Family Event, and with the help of Kohls on Bell and 53rd Ave, we were able to serve about 250 customers.

We gave Kohls’ employees, family, and friends a full meal in exchange for their feedback. This helps us get the feel of the truck, what worked best, what didn’t work, and anonymous feedback. It was a success, we had two negative responses. One: It was hot outside and Two: we should offer soda and not just water or sparkling water. All the other responses were positive, they loved the food and it was awesome.

This lead us to our next opportunity, we were invited to our friends and family event to be on a Radio Show. 1190-Am La Onda with Claudia Saucedo where we were able to talk about our new business. We open to the public on August 20, we started by setting up at Kohls for our first month then we ventured out and started booking events with farmers’ markets, HOA’s, apartments, food parks, including private events and any other events I can find.

Along the way, we have met a lot of truckers who have supported and given us some great advice. This includes Mama Litas Soda Bar, Churros Go Nuts, We have also met some new people who have become great friends who also are in small business owners such as Az Hawaiian Shrimp, 99 Sunny Thai Kitchen, Main Squeeze Lemonade, Vampire Penguin Peoria, Big Mamma Events, Big Acai, Ni Castro Pizza, Mr. Munchies, Viejito Hibachi to name a few.

We have also met some great supporters/organizers of food truck events who have done a lot for our industry, Such as Payton Ruggles, Christin & Eric Amadio from Amadio Peach Farm, Az Festivals Chloie & Dominica, Power Food Park (now closed), Sara from Neighborhood Trucks, and TJ from West Valley open-air market.

We have had the opportunity to partner with the Arizona Ratters. We started on March 2nd and will run through July. This opportunity given to us has been great, we have met some awesome athletes who are humble and kind. We have been blessed and have been booked for the last two months and schedules for the upcoming months is fill up fast.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
We have had a share of “bad luck” our trailer workmanship is very poor, we have had to put a lot of unexpected money into repairs for the electrical, plumbing, leaf springs, and little odds and ends.

We lost an axle driving down the 101 and our tire flew over cardinals’ way, we could have flipped and or killed someone. We had to get towed home, trailer, and our pull truck. We also had to get a new generator due to the first one breaking.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Piacenza Az?
We are a fresh Italian Food Trailer, serving dishes inspired by the Emila-Romagna and Calabrian Regions of Italy.

Family-owned and operated. Our staff includes our daughter Thalia who works with us daily. Our older daughters Jazmine & Daphne and their partners help with large events and help with our social media. We are a fresh Italian Food Trailer, serving dishes inspired by the Emila-Romagna and Calabrian Regions of Italy.

Our menu includes Pasta, Flatbread Sandwiches, Subs, and Salads. Our receipts are Greg’s, which he has perfected over time. Greg makes our Sauces, Pesto, Calabrian Aioli, and Vinaigrettes from fresh ingredients in small batches on a daily basis as needed.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We would love to open a restaurant.

Contact Info:

• Email: sonia@piacenza-pasta.com
• Website: WWW.PiacenzaAz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piacenza_az/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069474167973

Image Credits

Thalia Villanueva, Greg Villanueva, and Sonia Villanueva