Kwon’s Kitchen Korean Fusion has been a mainstay of the Fayetteville food scene since the truck gained traction with locals in 2021.
Now, owner Vanessa McKoy — better known as "Chef Kwon" — is launching a second food truck exclusively offering her best-selling sweets.
Kwons Treats food truck opens for business 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of restaurant Dogslingers at The Depot, 2801 Raeford Road.
The new food truck will serve Philadelphia Water Ice, a cousin to Italian ice found in the Northeast, and house-made candy-coated “crack” grapes, both of which were popular at her short-lived Korean fusion on Bragg Boulevard, she said.
Decadent desserts like pineapple boats filled with fruit, ice cream, Philadelphia Water Ice and whipped cream, and ice cream cake topped with candy, caramel or hot fudge will cater to sweet cravings, McKoy said. She plans to soon add funnel cakes and other fair foods to the menu.
Kwons Treats will also serve specialty lemonades and boba tea. Prices range from $7 to $15 per item, McKoy said, and customers can expect to see the truck at Dogslingers at The Depot regularly.
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McKoy, who is due to deliver her fifth child any day now, said her oldest daughter Nevaeh Veal, 17, and her nephew Kayden Veal, 15, who are both homeschooled, will operate the sweets truck.
“I’m trying to get them to follow behind me in the food truck business,” she explained.
Her daughter has a knack for candy-coated grapes, and her nephew has pitched in with her Korean food truck over the last few months, McKoy said.
Kwon's sweet and savory trucks to become Fayetteville staples
Kwon’s Kitchen Korean food truck will shut down while McKoy takes a brief maternity leave and will reopen in mid-August, she said. At that time she plans to continue operating both trucks with the help of Nevaeh and Kayden.
McKoy said she’s eager to return to work as soon as possible after welcoming her baby boy.
If Kwon’s Kitchen Korean goes away for too long, McKoy said, she risks losing the customer base she’s worked so hard to build over the last four years. Plus, she said, she must cover the costs of opening the sweets truck and provide for her growing family.
“I’m trying to buy a house and I have a lot of expenses,” she said.
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Mckoy said she’s no stranger to getting back to the grind with an infant in tow. She said she only took a week off work for each of her last four pregnancies.
“I’m used to it,” she said with a laugh.
What’s next for Kwon’s?
McKoy said she eventually wants to upgrade the Kwon’s Kitchen Korean food truck to a truck with enough space to offer both sweet and savory menus.
She expects to add more chicken dishes to the savory menu, like chicken bulgogi and Korean fried chicken. As meat costs rise, she said, it’s especially difficult to offer beef dishes without passing price increases to customers.
“I don’t want to keep raising my prices,” she said.
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Despite the challenges of balancing her food truck business with motherhood, McKoy said she’s happy and hopeful for the future.
“It’s going pretty good,” she said. “I feel good.”
Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.
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