There's a new food truck in town, and it's bringing loaded baked potatoes packed with fresh ingredients and flavors.
Matthew Swint Smith and Greg Steven Wilson were playing music and jamming together with some mutual friends last winter, when the two reconnected after first meeting in Boy Scouts when they were 8-years-old.
Smith now calls Shelby home, but both men are Gastonia natives and both share a passion for food. That mutual passion led to a conversation about starting a food truck and in February, the men started working together to make it a reality. Last month, the two launched Supernova Spuds, which offers a variety of loaded baked potatoes in addition to a few other selections.
Smith said he’s been in the food business for over 20 years, and Wilson said he first started cooking as a kid.
Before they started Supernova Spuds, Smith was working for a printing and packaging company in Shelby and Wilson was doing plumbing, but both were eager to start their own business, be their own bosses, and get back to their first love - food.
“I was plumbing for the last several years, but food has always been my passion,” Wilson said. “It was one of those better late than never situations.”
They bought a trailer, had it customized, and opened up shop less than two weeks ago. The truck's wrap features a spud, wearing hat and glasses driving through the desert in a convertible, a nod to Hunter S. Thompson's classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
“We’ve had a really good response from the community,” Smith said.
Wilson said they have also had tremendous support from friends and family, including First Class Catering, which will be allowing them a space for a commissary next month, and his parents, Connie and Steve Wilson. He said he feels fortunate to get to do what he loves and is thankful to God for the opportunity.
Smith and Wilson said they want to start with the food truck and work their way up to a restaurant someday, and they have big dreams for the future.
Supernova Spuds can be found at Harbor Freight, in the parking lot beside Jimmy John's, and at other locations around town.
Wilson said although he doesn’t live in Shelby, he loves the city and has always had ties to the area. Smith said he is from Gastonia, but had been living on Portland, Oregon, for the past decade and had worked in the food industry, including at Market of Choice. He met his wife there and eventually they moved to Shelby. They have two daughters.
They decided on baked potatoes because they wanted to offer something a little different that was also fresh, healthy and packed with flavor. Wilson said nothing is friedm and everything is fresh and scratch-made.
They have the classic loaded potato with cheese, sour cream, bacon and butter; the chili cheese; Greek; German; chicken bacon ranch; a cheeseburger loaded potato and more.
People can also add tomatoes and avocados.
One of their top-selling potatoes is the bacon chicken ranch.
They also offer wraps, hotdogs and smash burgers.
Smith said they connected with Duncan Blount, of Shelby Spice, and they use his hot sauce in their buffalo chicken loaded potato.
Wilson said they have had a good reception from the community already.
"We already have people hooked," he said.
For more information on where Supernova Spuds can be found and their menu, check them out on Facebook or Instagram.
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