OGDEN, Utah — It’s the busiest time of year for food trucks, and it’s never easy when one of your vehicles goes up in flames a week before its biggest day of the year: the Fourth of July.
World’s Best Corn Dogs didn’t have its best day on Saturday.
“I was freaking out a little bit because it’s got a 100-pound propane tank on the back and 30-pound gas tank right under where it was,” said owner Russ Relyea.
Relyea was driving the truck to the Pleasant View Founder’s Day celebration when he immediately could tell something was wrong.
“I was cruising up I-15 and got there right around Ogden and I just heard what sounded like a pipe burst and steam coming up into the truck,” he said.
That truck was actually the first vehicle for the decade-long business. For years, customers from near and far have tapped into the delicious nostalgia a bite from a corn dog can bring.
“When you’re a little kid and you’re at the fair or the circus and you have that, it brings back these magic moments growing up,” said Relyea.
It’s been an emotional day for him and his wife watching the truck go up in flames.
“It’s weird — it’s just a truck,” he said, “But man, there’s a lot of memories associated with that.”
Each vehicle has a large heart on the side labeled “The Love Truck,” and World’s Best Corndogs certainly felt the love over the last 24 hours. Past and present customers have reached out, sharing their relief that no one was injured.
“That’s why we call it ‘The Love Truck,’” said Relyea. “It’s that connection we make with our customers. It really is that. There’s a lot of love and joy and happiness that comes from these.”
