By FRED KRONER
The start of a world-wide pandemic hardly seems like the ideal time to undertake a new business venture, but Mahomet’s Brien Hawkins had to deal with opportunities as they arose.
“In March, we started to get the ball rolling,” Hawkins said.
Perhaps ‘rolling’ is too strong of a word. That’s when the process began for Hawkins to take the first steps in fulfilling a lifelong dream.
“I always wanted to have a food truck or my own restaurant,” Hawkins said.
An employee of the St. Joseph school district, Hawkins didn’t have the financial backing to open a brick and mortar restaurant, but he had the support needed to get moving on a food truck.
“My father-in-law enjoyed my cooking and he always said if he hit the lottery, he would invest in me,” Hawkins said.
In July, 2019, Hawkins’ father-in-law, Phil Hall, passed away.
“In his will, he put in money for my food truck,” Hawkins said.
Brien’s Bistro is now up and running. It is in its third month of operation. There is a prominent reference to his father-in-law on the side of the truck.
“Without him, the food truck wouldn’t exist now,” Hawkins said.
Even as the coronavirus continued to spread, Hawkins was able to make his business move work. He operates the truck on Friday nights and weekends.
He kept his day job – the one which provides insurance benefits – at St. Joseph, where he is the head of the information technology department as well as head of maintenance at both the elementary school and middle school.
“I also drive a school bus,” he said.
During the school year – at least during normal school years – his day starts early, often by 5 a.m. Sometimes it’s 4 p.m. before his duties are done.
“My background is as an IT guy,” Hawkins said, “but I’ve been in the kitchen for years. I learned from my parents when I was tall enough to reach up to the stove in the kitchen.”
When he lived in Michigan and in Chicago, he kept his hand in his pastime by accepting catering jobs.
“I love to cook,” Hawkins said. “That’s my passion. I love to see people enjoy eating my food.”
About 10 years ago, Hawkins and his wife (the former Stephanie Hall) relocated to her hometown of Mahomet to be close to her family.
Though the food truck rotates locations in Champaign County, Hawkins has tried to make it a point to be on Main Street, outside of Sangamon on Main, during the Saturdays that the Mahomet Market is in session.
“Me and my wife do it together,” Hawkins said. “That gives us an opportunity to work together, which is awesome because she is my backbone. She is very supportive.
“This is what I love to do. If you love it, that’s why it comes out so good.”
Hawkins has one additional employee, a high school student.
“I don’t have a problem teaching anyone that is willing to learn,” he said. “I’m trying to mold him and get him used to a routine.”
Brien’s Bistro offers an assortment of items ranging from sandwiches to nachos to side dishes such as cole slaw or salads. Selections will change with the seasons and he hopes to stay open even during the coldest of the winter months.
“That’s when I’ll bring out the chili and different types of soup or chicken and dumplings,” Hawkins said.
On days he is open for both the breakfast and lunch crowds, some items have become staples throughout the day.
“The shrimp and grits is in high demand,” Hawkins said.
The best way to find where Hawkins will be setting up is to check the Brien’s Bistro Facebook page. He updates it regularly.
“My favorite to make and what I’m known for is the mac and cheese (plus a loaded mac and cheese with a choice of three different meat toppings),” Hawkins said.
As for what he likes the most, he added, “my pot roast sandwiches are the best. They are seasoned perfectly.”
He hasn’t yet tested the waters for one of his areas of expertise.
“I love to make desserts,” he said. “I’m a sweets guy, but I don’t make desserts from my truck.”
Hawkins rents a facility in Savoy where he has access to storage space as well as a walk-in freezer and refrigeration space. It allows him a quick turnaround and the ability to replenish his truck literally overnight. He does some prep work there as well.
The pulled pork is started at his rented kitchen location because “everything is slow-cooked and seasoned to perfection,” Hawkins said.
He offers about a dozen items on his menu and finishes preparations from the truck as orders are made.
There are no guarantees that his selections will be the same from week to week.
“A lot of people like change,” Hawkins said. “They don’t want the same thing over and over again. We don’t specialize in any one thing.
“Location means a lot. Some people want a light meal. I might have chicken salad on a croissant or on top of a salad. I have a fruit salad with two types of grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple on top.
“Then when it’s time to bring the pot roast back, you’ll be hungry for that.”
Hawkins hasn’t yet done a major advertising campaign.
“I’m still trying to get the name out there,” he said. “It’s a learning process for us as well as learning how the system works.”
Many places where he has set up during the summer are areas where he has been asked to return. Besides the Mahomet Market, Brien’s Bistro has made stops in Urbana at both Riggs Beer Company and 25 O’Clock Brewing Company, in addition to the corner of University and Neil, in Champaign, as well as at some area parks.
“We’ve had interest from some smaller towns that don’t have a restaurant,” Hawkins said. “We try to make our way there.
“A lot of our locations have come from word of mouth. Most of our places are repeats.”
He has no doubts that starting his business during the pandemic has had a limiting effect.
“We’re doing OK, but we’d be doing much better without all of this going on,” Hawkins said. “Next year might be better.”
So far, though, the only idle days have been ones of his choosing.
“We’ve been booked every weekend, and that’s a blessing,” Hawkins said.
