The new Sweet N Cheezy food truck at Ohio University reflects increasingly popular on-the-go food options for students. The locally-owned and family-operated business is one of up to seven food truck options near campus at any given time.
The Sweet N Cheezy menu features items like the “cheezy bacon-wrapped hot dogs” for $6 and popcorn shrimp for $7. With the closure of Grub-N-Go on W. Union Street, Sweet N Cheezy is one of the few remaining locally-owned, deep-fry restaurants in Athens.
According to Sweet N Cheezy Co-Owner Brandon Perry, the decision to offer such unique food options in a food truck style was based on his family's connection to food and southeast Ohio.
“We all love to cook, and we've been doing a whole lot of cooking for a long time,” Perry said. “What inspired us was you don't see very much of the totally deep-fried food vendors or restaurants like that.”
The family-owned business is run by Perry, his wife Heather and his sister Tiffanie. While Perry does not consider his menu items to be full meals, he said students can combine items like cheesy fries, country fried steak sandwiches and a drink to create a meal on the go.
“We've been pretty surprised that almost everything has been selling quite a bit,” Perry said. “A lot of people like the deep-fried bacon-wrapped hot dogs and we have cheese curds with caramel sauce that a lot of people have been trying out and they seem to like it.”
Perry said the popcorn chicken and popcorn shrimp are big sellers too. Also featured on the menu are other items such as a country fried steak sandwich for $7, “Spicy CheezeBites with Ranch” for $7, or cinnamon doughnut bites for $6.
Familiar with the region, Perry said he recognizes the socio-economic difficulties placed on Athens residents and students. He hopes his family’s food truck can provide everyone with a unique dining option.
Perry expressed concern about Sweet N Cheezy’s pricing as the truck caters to college students.
“We know that the economy right now, and we know that in college, things are tight for (people), so we were very particular about the products that we picked and being able to price them very affordably, comparatively to a lot of other places,” Perry said.
According to the National Restaurant Association, limited-service menu prices increased 4.3% between August 2023 and August 2024.
However, menu-price growth of 3.5% in the Midwest regions remained below the national average in recent months.
It was Sweet N Cheezy’s concern for its customer demographic and a home cooked meal that drew Erica Ahmed, a freshman studying musical theater, to the food truck.
According to Ahmed, an overwhelmingly positive first interaction, coupled with her favorite food: cheese curds, has made her a repeat customer.
“I've gone to the Hungry (Cat) or Rise N Grind,” Ahmed said. “Just compared to other places, Sweet N Cheezy was definitely more trying to connect with people.”
Ahmed said she also liked that Sweet N Cheezy was fast to fulfill orders, compared to other local trucks where there can be a wait time.
