Trying to stay in business, Louisville food truck looks for success near interstates

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Small businesses, like food trucks, are finding ways to survive the COVID-19 pandemic while still sharing a part of their profits with others.

Lydia Brim is back to work at The Celtic Pig, which serves Irish/Scottish food and barbecue with a southern twist. The restaurant's brick-and-mortar location in downtown Louisville closed its doors because of the pandemic, and its food truck is now posted up at the corner of Bardstown Road and Gardiner Lane, just off the Watterson Expressway.

"I'm gonna fix a brisket grilled cheese sandwich," said Brim, who recently returned from furlough.

"(Returning to work has) been helpful to her, because her stimulus check hasn't come, and her unemployment check hasn't come," restaurant owner Sam Bracken said.

Right now, the food truck is enough to pay the bills, buy groceries and help members of Louisville's Catholic community.

"Our world came crashing down when they closed our restaurant and bar," Bracken said, "and we're lucky that we have the food truck to fall back on and still do carryout.

"The general public really wants to support local businesses and local restaurants," he added. "People have been coming up and tipping us as much as 100%."

The Celtic Pig is donating a portion of its sales to St. Raphael Catholic Church. It has also served some truck drivers who aren't able to visit fast food drive-thru windows.

"We had a guy come in yesterday that worked for a plumbing company in a fairly large box truck," Bracken added. "He said none of the drive-thrus will let him come through, they're not serving through the door, and they don't let them walk up."

Indiana currently allows food trucks to set up at certain interstate rest stops to help feed truck drivers, but no trucks were serving food Saturday afternoon at the Henryville, Indiana, exit off Interstate 65.