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Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-state area. In addition to this update from Galena, Ill., we will share other developments in Wednesday’s edition.
A new Galena food truck is in the neighborhood this summer, putting a delicate twist on traditionally savory fare.
Sour Joe’s mobile kitchen serves dishes with bacon and eggs, Italian beef, cheeseburger and pickles and breakfast sausage — each wrapped in pastry dough.
Complete with savory cheeses and sauces, it’s not a bun — it’s a kolache.
Kolaches are yeasted dough pastries popularized in the southwestern United States by Czech immigrants.
Owner-operator Joe Loeffelholz has been working on his unique American-style recipes for over seven years.
“My background’s in commercial (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) so it’s a little bit of a different ballfield,” he said. “When I worked in Colorado years ago, I’d get a 12-pack of them to a crane site or a (big job). You know, instead of getting a dozen donuts, I’d get something that sticks to your ribs a little bit more. And in my experience everyone just loved them. … (When I) saw that nobody was really doing this in town, all of this just kind of came together.”
The truck also offers sweets to complement the savory, including creamy strawberry and blueberry cheesecake kolaches.
Loeffelholz is something of a serial entrepreneur as the co-owner of several other businesses with his siblings, including the 231 Bar & Grill and RiverBluff Collective in East Dubuque, Ill.
However, given his recent move to Galena, Sour Joe’s is a special project, where Joe has full control over sourcing of ingredients and partnerships.
“This is a standalone business that I’m kind of (personally) spearheading,” he said. “I’m right at the point where I’m going from parking lots to partnerships with businesses.”
That personal touch includes locally sourced ingredients. Meats are from Mulgrew Meats, a farm owned by a high school friend.
Those who want to join Joe on his journey can find his current location at facebook.com/sourjoesfoodtruck.
He will travel to events within 45 minutes of Galena and recently has made frequent stops in the Dubuque area.
For online preorders or a look at the menu, visit sourjoesfoodtruck.square.site.