When one of Eunice Upshaw’s daughters said she was tired of waffles, Ms. Upshaw told her they were just getting started. “You have to go to bed eating and sleeping waffles, that’s the job,” she said. Ms. Upshaw is the owner and operator of Wich-Uh-Waffle, an Iowa City-based food truck that serves a variety of […]
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When one of Eunice Upshaw’s daughters said she was tired of waffles, Ms. Upshaw told her they were just getting started.
“You have to go to bed eating and sleeping waffles, that’s the job,” she said.
Ms. Upshaw is the owner and operator of Wich-Uh-Waffle, an Iowa City-based food truck that serves a variety of waffles and sandwiches to customers at 1104 S Gilbert St. She opened the truck in 2017 after 18 years in the restaurant industry.
The business started as a table and a tent, but Ms. Upshaw purchased her food truck in 2018 and has continued growing her business since.
“Once I had the truck, it just really took off,” she said. “I really put my stuff and myself out there. I created a social media page and we started growing immediately … People have been gravitating to me and enjoying the food and giving me feedback. I’ve been enjoying the journey and giving people a place to come together. That’s one of the reasons I started my business.”
The truck serves various types of waffles — including bubble waffles — with a variety of toppings and sandwiches, hence the business' name. The company’s Instagram page currently has 400 followers and its Facebook has 601.
A family-oriented business
When Ms. Upshaw was pregnant with her youngest daughter, she craved waffles and could not find them at many restaurants anymore.
“I used to go around town to different restaurants looking to get a waffle and everyone said they don’t do that anymore,” she said. “At that point, I just started making waffles at home and that’s where the idea came from. Waffles weren’t accessible to me when I wanted them.”
At one of the early events Ms. Upshaw attended at a local Eastern Iowa farm, a young customer was ecstatic to see the business because they too were always craving waffles.
“The little boy, he walked up and said ‘I was telling my dad that I wanted waffles and then we walked further and here you are with waffles,’ and his dad was so surprised to see someone selling waffles.”
Ms. Upshaw has enjoyed watching the community come together at events and her Iowa City spot. She said one of her favorite parts of opening the food truck is watching people return and getting to know Iowa City and its residents.
Now, her four eldest children occasionally work the truck with her.
One of her two sons has started working in food service, which is a welcome development for Ms. Upshaw.
She said it would be nice to pass the business on to her son or to work with him on a more regular basis if he wants to.
“Another reason I do this is because, as a kid, I didn’t have something that my mom left me or that my father left me,” she said. “I want to be able to provide those things for my kids so they can be proud of me in a way where they can speak of me with pride.”
The future of Wich-Uh-Waffle
In the next five years, Ms. Upshaw wants to expand her business.
“I would like to be in a brick and mortar place,” she said. “I would like to make it sound enough for another food truck, too, so instead of being in one place or two, I can be in three places. I want to grow it, either into another state or into another part of Iowa. That would be great to do.”
The business has recently expanded into other markets, as Ms. Upshaw — who’s originally from Chicago — travels to Des Moines and across many Eastern Iowa cities for events.
When the food truck goes to a larger event, Ms. Upshaw will open less frequently in the week prior at her Gilbert Street location to prepare.
“I look forward to seeing people’s smiling faces and folks want to give you hugs because it’s like I’m providing happiness,” she said. “It is a lot of work and that’s not a bad thing, the hustle and bustle. It’s all a part of the job.”
Ms. Upshaw continues to make videos for her social media of the behind the scenes of her business as she creates new specialties to offer Iowa Citians. She said her business and food are appealing to people and that’s how she continues to grow as customers tell their friends about their favorite sandwiches and waffles.
While she expands Wich-Uh-Waffle and welcomes new customers, Ms. Upshaw is proud of what her business has accomplished and plans to continue hitting the ground running every day.
“I’ve really been enjoying the last four years doing my business and I want to continue to grow and make myself a household name,” she said. “Just seeing the enjoyment, it’s really fulfilling and I think that’s my purpose at this point.”
