If there is something wrong in your food truck world, who you gonna call? MikeGyver!
Who is this Mikegyver and why he is respected more than Chuck Norris and MacGyver combined? Read on.
Mikegyver, aka Tyvek, Metal Mike and Bearded Mike is known in other parts of the world as Mike Lauletta. He first came to the attention of the mobile food community while picking up some hours at Dinin’ Hall where he was known as Dinin’ Hall Mike. This was a convenient gig for him because he uses studio space at 400 West Rich so in between creating metal works, crafting Rube Goldberg style devices and working on various artistic outreach projects, he could hop over to Dinin’ Hall to help out and make a bit of spending money.
I interviewed Mike to find out how he became a mobile food icon.
“I got my start on a food truck from Laura Lee, chef/owner of Ajumama. We met at Dinin’ Hall and she needed some part-time help on her truck. I have a lot of experience cooking in restaurants, everything from steak houses to authentic Louisiana Creole.” After working on Ajumama, Mike started to work with other food trucks based at The Food Fort including OH! Burgers and That Food Truck. In addition to cooking and working the window, Mike has also helped clean out trucks, repaired damaged equipment and assisted with updates and modifications to design. In between that, he also started picking up some hours working with a caterer based there. There are countless Mike’s involved in the Columbus Mobile Food scene so to keep this Mike straight from Pizza Mike, Mikey’s, Mike and Other Mike from Flattop Pizza, Mike G and countless others….Mike was initially known as Bearded Mike. As his skills became more renown and in spite of the fact that he does not have duct tape holstered to him, as astute individual started to call him Mikegyver so the moniker stuck.
So what else does he do? “When I’m not living the dream working on a food truck, I am a sculptor. Mostly work in Cast Metal and Concrete, but no material is off my pallet/palate/palette. I can make anything you can imagine.”
I asked Mikegyver a few questions about what he has observed and learned in the Food Truck world.
Any interesting observations about the Food Truck world?
All I can say is if I had a dollar for every time a food truck owner told me ,” don’t tell anyone else this, but ….”
Any advice for food truck customers based one what you have learned?
Read the whole menu before you ask any questions and of course we take credit cards…. it’s the future.
Any Advice for Food Truck owners based on your experiences?
My advice for truck owners, if you are in it for money quit now. And don’t let anyone push you around. It is your burden/business so be open to advice but do what you want.
Being the hired gun / High Plains Drifter / Lone Ranger of the Food Truck world, if someone needs your services, how do they contact you? Is there a Mikegyver signal like Batman?
If someone would like to contract my services my email is Mikesinside@gmail.com
