The Filling Station, that’s what they’re calling the newest food truck to the Tri-Cities. Based out of Elizabethton, Tennessee, the family-owned business emerged in October, and its story is a story of entrepreneurship and American ambition.
After 28 years in the healthcare industry, Rosanna Aldrich decided it was time for something new. Her current company, Recover Appalachia in Erwin, is a faith-based organization that specializes in alcohol and drug treatment as well as juvenile prevention programs. However, due to lack of funding, Recover Appalachia is being forced to close its doors at the end of the year.
“We worked in the court systems, but the drug problem in our area is just out of control,” said Aldrich. “Our average age of our youth in our youth program is 13. We’ve had them in there for needle drugs, marijuana, LSD…Anything you can think of. But we can’t keep it going because we just can’t get the funding.”
Despite the obstacles that Recover Appalachia is facing, Aldrich didn’t let it discourage her. Instead, she took the opportunity to try something new—the food truck business.
“I’m branching out and doing something new, and I’ve bought a food truck,” Aldrich laughed.
Aldrich partnered with her son, Stephen Wilson, and his fiancé, Natosha Reddick, who holds a bachelor’s of business administration.
“She does the business part and I do the cooking,” said Aldrich. “We couldn’t do it without her.”
While owning a food truck is certainly sailing into uncharted territory for the family, the food industry is an area of expertise. In the early 2000s, Aldrich owned a restaurant named Granny’s Kitchen in downtown Erwin, where she served southern cooking but had to close in 2008 to pursue her career in healthcare. Aldrich is now taking that same southern-style cooking and putting it on wheels.
The Filling Station specializes in Mac n’ Cheese bowls, but their menu consists of everything from BBQ sandwiches to soup and cornbread.
If you’re in the mood for some soulful cooking, give The Filling Station a try; their 5-star rating on Facebook suggests you won’t be disappointed.
“It’s just home-cooking with a twist. And if people want home-cooking, this is where you need to come. You don’t have to worry about going and getting fast-food because everything we make is homemade,” Aldrich said.
To see where The Filling Station is going to be, visit their Facebook page “The Filling Station Food Truck” or give them a call at 423-388-1039.
