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Fagundes keeps business trucking after hours
Fagundes--Pic 1
Ernie Nunes is all smiles as he stands with Fagundes Meats and Catering owner Frank Teixeira and his two sons, Spencer and Cooper. - photo by JASON CAMPBELL/ The Bulletin

Fagundes After Hours is about to be the newest food craze to hit a city thirsty for new dining options.
In the coming month Fagundes Meats and Catering owner Frank Teixeira is rolling out a unique and innovative way to meet the demands of customers who are asking for the business to stay open later and open up on days that the old-fashioned meat counter has traditionally been closed.
He’s using a food truck.
Unveiled last year just in time for the Dell’Osso Farms Baconfest event where Teixeira was one of two operators that didn’t run out of food for the crowd of more than 70,000 people that attended,  the large mobile kitchen will open up on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 to 8:30 p.m. to allow commuters the chance to come by and pick up food.
On Sunday and Monday – two days that the shop is traditionally closed – the truck will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. serving up the tri-tip sandwiches, ribs and whole and half chickens that become a lucrative part of the business since daily BBQ became a part of the menu at the longtime Manteca butcher shop.
“People have been asking about this, and I figured that this would be the best way to give them what they want,” Teixeira said. “We’ve had the truck for a while now and we’re doing lots of street fairs and corporate events, but when we weren’t at those places it was just sitting here at the shop.
“Why not use it to create something that the customers are always asking for? It’s the best of both worlds.”
And it isn’t your typical food truck.
While most people think of the self-contained RV-style units that have long been popular with Mexican food enthusiasts, the Fagundes outfit is actually a mobile restaurant sitting atop a chassis that features a cab that is separate from the actual food serving space. The inside of the truck, as a result, allow for much more room – as many as seven people worked inside during Baconfest – and storage.
The on-site After Hours location will still utilize the massive grills that cater to the large weekend crowds, but the inside of the truck also has a grill to complement the warming stations for things like Portuguese beans, tri-tip chili and grilled onions. The back counter of the truck is equipped with everything necessary to make the store’s famed tri-tip sandwiches, and three individual refrigerators sit below them to store everything that doesn’t fit in the full-sized refrigerator in the back corner.
“The truck itself is a chance to drum up new business, so we figured we would also use it take care of our customers that can’t make it down here before we close,” said Teixeira – who also said that the shop’s famed seasonings and barbecue sauces will also be available to purchase. “This is an exploding market, and we’re excited about being able to take care of our long-term customers this way.”
Fagundes Meats and Catering is located at 142 Jason Street, and periodic specials for the truck will be posted at the store’s Facebook page. Additional information can be found by visiting www.fagundescatering.com, or by calling 209.249.4184.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.