I Don’t Think You’re Ready For This PB & Jelly
Chris Arneson
You’ve probably already heard of the purple food truck that sells gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
In the few years since its launch in 2011, Hey PB&J has become somewhat of a staple in the Mile High City’s food truck community. Owner Matt McDonald says it stands out as a relic to what the food truck craze once was. If it launched today, it would probably only last a couple weeks.
“In the food truck world, there are trends, blips, and fads,” Matt explains. “A few years is really more like 10 years in the food truck microcosm. You can’t launch a crab cake truck anymore.”
Matt, who spent several years working in Chicago’s restaurant scene, has a degree from Minnesota’s Culinary Institute of America. He moved to Denver in 2005 to switch gears and ended up working in software sales. The food truck idea was something he did on the side for fun.
He acquired his 1979 Chevy truck from a kooky guy in Edwards, who originally purchased it from Pennsylvania, where it was used for fish and chips. Since then, Matt says his food truck journey is worthy of its own reality show.
Matt’s sandwich truck was inspired by a grilled PB&J truck in Portland. His beginnings included sandwiches featuring burnt marshmallows and tangerine marmalade. At first he thought adding bananas was too pedestrian, but now he’s regularly buying bunches. Bacon is also a must.
“If I’m gonna be weird, I’m gonna embrace it,” he declares.
His sandwiches run from sweet to savory to spicy. Figgy Piggy is his most requested, which is comprised of almond butter, homemade fig jam, goat cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, and honey. Or if you want something different, there’s the Thai Chicken, crafted with spicy ginger peanut butter, roasted and shredded chicken, orange marmalade, shredded coconut, crushed peanuts, sriracha, and fresh basil. Usually he offers around 10 sandwiches, but regulars come back for their favorite.
“Everyone has that one memory they want to return for,” Matt conveys. “In my fans’ eyes, I’m the Figgy Piggy or the Blueberry Pie.”
This year, the truck launched on April 2 — National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, of course. The truck plans to run through Oct 8 — National Fluffernutter Day. (That’s a sandwich made of peanut butter and marshmallow crème; an east coast favorite.) Those dates have been pretty traditional for his business, but Matt says people start looking for it around St. Patty’s Day.
Matt’s year-long focus is on his other truck “Meatball,” which launched in 2014. Back when he was starting up, he held a focus group where the peanut butter and jelly concept tied with the meatball idea, so he knew it had to happen.
Matt doesn’t keep a calendar of his stops, but he posts where his truck is hanging out on Facebook. Usually, he says, the northwest side of town is his ’hood.
This season, though, Hey PB&J is pretty much reserved for special events, so if you want it try it, it’s best to book it. Matt says his sales minimum is one of the lowest in town.
“It has to be at an event as weird as it is,” Matt asserts. “But it does well for offices. It’s like an ice cream truck.”
His prices are fairly inexpensive for the food truck world. You’ll see a sandwich anywhere from $6–7.50, which is dialed back a bit from last year.
“We make our own jams and jellies,” Matt explains. “Everything is premium.”
For more info on hey PB&J, check it out on Facebook or Twitter (@heyPBandJ). Visit the website (HeyPBandJ.com) for booking and menu options.
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