This summer there will be a new location serving up a nice warm home-style country breakfast complete with eggs to order, bacon, grits, biscuits and more.
Alexander City resident Alana Garrard launched the food truck Stop for Breakfast to fill a void in the area.
“I’m retiring from teaching and I had started about two or three years ago thinking about a food truck,” Garrard said. “I thought about what I could make and could be in Alex City that’s not common. I sorted through different options and menus and realized I could do breakfast.”
Garrard has taught special education at Reeltown the last four years and noticed on her drive from Alex City there were really no breakfast places.
“So I started thinking about the food trailer and breakfast and it kinda just all came together,” she said. “We bought the trailer in January and it just worked out that I was able to go through the whole process.”
Stop for Breakfast officially opened last weekend and will be open 7:30 to 11 a.m. Fridays through Sundays through at least Labor Day at Wind Creek State Park. Garrard is in the works of securing a location to set up during the week as well but hasn’t nailed down a solid plan yet. She’s working with Larry Morris, owner of the new Patriot Fueling Station on the corner of highways 63 and 128.
“I have to kind of wait and see when the gas station gets opened to figure out my hours but I’ll probably be there Monday through Fridays, maybe open a little earlier around 7 a.m.,” Garrard said.
Her love for the hospitality and food industry started in college when Garrard worked in restaurants and always enjoyed it. She began studying the field more and it’s always been on her mind as something to do.
“I started looking at what I would be able to do with the amount of time I’m opened — I’m able to serve breakfast and be finished with my day — and what the area needed and I decided we needed a breakfast place,” Garrard said. “It’s quick to fix so it’s always been on the back of my mind.”
Stop for Breakfast’s menu will include bacon, grits, gravy, biscuits, sausage, bologna and eggs cooked to order. Garrard will also offer donut holes on a skewer for an added sweet treat.
The first weekend, Garrard ran the truck on her own but has hired a high school student to help take orders and assist her.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll have to have somebody to help — maybe even two people once she goes off the college,” Garrard said. “It depends on how busy it’s going to be during the week. It’s hard to know right now but so far it’s going really good.”
Garrard plans to run the food truck year-round and loves the idea of being in Wind Creek State Park.
“I love Wind Creek and that was my initial plan to be there on weekends but when the gas station spot opened up, well I think its going to work out beautifully,” she said. “After teaching for 27 years, I decided it was time for a change.”
For more information, visit the Stop for Breakfast Facebook page and the website www.stopforbreakfast.com is in the works.