Faux taco truck revs up healthcare dining

Tara Fitzpatrick

Like many plans derailed by the pandemic, so was Chef Nazim Khan’s idea for a food truck he could drive around the hospital campus of Bryan Health in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mike Dixon, nutrition and dining services director, delivered the disappointing news to Khan, saying, “Sorry, chef, we can’t do it,” Khan recalls.

Right away, Khan’s gears started turning. “I told Mike, ‘What if we do a food truck banner with an easel and do it like that?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, that would be great, and we could name it Faux’d truck.’ I said, ‘Wow, I like that idea!’”

Two green sauces were available on the Faux’d Truck’s first tacos: A classic salsa verde, and a custom jalapeno-green pepper-cilantro-ranch sauce.

And there you have it: Disappointment followed by quick thinking outside the box. With the help of a great in-house print shop, the “truck” began to take shape. A window has been cut out, and real pots and pans give it an authentic feel. A credit-card payment device is on board, and a scanner is there to swipe Bryan badges and export a list in Excel. When weather is good, the Faux’d truck can park near entrances and a picnic tables area. In bad weather, it can roll into surgery locker rooms and an enclosed healing garden.

The menu board is a chalkboard, and the first menu was street tacos with some kickin’ custom sauces, tortilla soup and churros.

Right away, a buzz was created around the hospital community, and people couldn’t wait to see what would come off the new Faux’d truck next. Khan is planning for a classic fish ‘n chips pop-up soon.