Being in Dubuque means the good fortune of being surrounded by many great food trucks that provide the community with a variety of food and drink options. No matter what you’re craving, there is something for everyone.

One of the key markers of the trend is that the product is on the go, pulling up at various locations around town and slinging food to on-foot patrons.

But what happens when a food on the move turns its attention to a brick-and-mortar restaurant space?

Owners Lucas and Liberty Miller started serving bold, unique flavors based on Southeast Asian cuisine in 2019 as a food stand, then debuted a food truck in 2021. They called it Versus.

“One night, he was just like, ‘We should open an amazing food business,’ because obviously, he knew what he was doing in the kitchen,” Lucas said. “I was like, ‘What do you mean? Chinese versus Japanese, or Vietnam versus Thailand?’ and he said, ‘Oh, let’s call it Versus.’”

Featuring a regularly rotating menu, as well as regular staples like Vietnamese bánh mi sandwiches and a Filipino rice bowl called tapsilog, the Millers found success at the Dubuque Farmers Market and the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium’s Taste of Summer, among other events.

“I love food, I love people, and Dubuque is my hometown, so for me to be able to take this food that I’ve learned about living other places and hanging around different cultures and share it with the community here is great,” Lucas said.

In November 2023, the Millers announced a new venture under the Versus banner: Versus 2.0 Authentic Asian Kitchen/Bar, at 2364 Washington St.

Some of the recipes featured on the go made the trip to the brick-and-mortar location, and new ones were introduced.

Lucas said he and Liberty decided to purchase the physical location to offer a more permanent space for customers to come and eat, no matter the state of the weather. They chose the Washington Street location because it was formerly the site of Buddy’s Clubhouse.

“It’s not that we chose that building. It’s more like that building chose us,” Miller said. “The timing was right. The location was right, and it all just kind of came together.”

The food truck continues to operate, though mainly during warmer months.

Another successful transition from food truck to physical location is the coffee shop Bob and Lou’s, known for its variety of coffee drinks, friendly atmosphere and unique coffee experience.

This journey for owner and founder Sarah Knabel all started with a love for coffee, and the hope of one day owning a coffee shop of her own.

“During my time at Iowa State University I worked at a coffee shop,” she said. “I feel like that is where I started to fall in love with coffee and the coffee shop atmosphere.”

After college, Knabel moved to Los Angeles for an internship, where she fell in love with the story and personality the city created throughout its coffee shops. It wasn’t until working a corporate job in Des Moines that Knabel found herself beginning the research that one day would lead to her opening that dream shop.

“I began my research to ‘someday’ (was not expecting within a year and a half to be chasing this dream) open a coffee shop of my own,” she said. “As I knew, corporate/desk life was not for me. And I am much more of a chatty, people person.”

Being 23 and fresh out of college, Knabel thought it would make more sense to start her business off in a mobile unit, as she was just getting started in the industry.

“Being mobile gave me the ability to get the Bob & Lou’s brand out, without having the overhead of a building or being signed into a lease,” she said.

It was a chance encounter with Susan Farber, owner of Magoo’s Pizza in Dubuque, that led to Bob & Lou’s first brick-and-mortar opportunity at 1875 University Ave. (Magoo’s also has a food a truck, though it followed after the success of its physical location.)

“Around the beginning of November 2020, I quickly realized the camper could not withstand the Iowa winters,” Knabel said. “And I decided to reach back out to Susan Farber in request of her building as a ‘temporary’ location during the cold months.”

In March 2021, Knabel decided that she needed to hire employees and keep the University Avenue location open. It gave her many new opportunities for her business to grow.

“I have to shout out my first team of four employees who helped make the transition of one-woman-show to now boss woman an absolute breeze,” she said. “Three of these girls still help me when they are back from college or available on a random weekend.”

Knabel is a firm believer in “the universe giving you what you are ready for” and that has been the case throughout starting Bob & Lou’s.

“I truly had a gut feeling that was telling me to go for it, and it was one of the best decisions I have made,” Knabel said.

Reflecting on her journey, Knabel gives inspiring advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Simply, just go for it,” she said. “There are so many people that talk about starting their own business or tell me, ‘Oh that has always been a dream of mine.’ Be the one who just goes for it and makes it happen.”

The Millers, through Versus and Versus 2.0, continue to provide a taste that’s uniquely theirs, as well.

“We really wanted to break the mold with our menu and offer a little bit from everywhere,” Lucas said. “With (our menu), people can really explore the other side of the world without ever leaving Dubuque.”