You might already know James the Waffle Guy.
He certainly seems to know a lot of people in this town after operating his waffle stand on the corner of Liberty and Chemeketa for just a few weeks.
In the half-hour that I stood talking to James yesterday before he closed up shop for the day, he traded stories, swapped greetings and exchanged knowing nods with roughly 64% of the passers-by.
In a glimpse of Americana that even struck a chord with this cranky blogger, one woman even offered James the Waffle Guy a slice of apple pie.
All of this, of course, means that James the Waffle Guy is quickly on his way to becoming the most visible person in downtown Salem.
There, I’ve said it.
Our biggest celebrity is a waffle guy.
And rightfully so.
James has worked in the service industry for years — his other gig is slinging steaks at the Best Little Roadhouse — so he knows how to charm a customer and interact with people.
But his heart seems to be in seeing a great idea and making it happen.
What if I told you that James has never actually eaten from a food cart before? That he knows of the triumphant PDX Food Cart scene but has never seen it himself?
Food carts were the great Depression 2.0 story coming out of Portland in the past couple of years — another sign that it takes the New York Times to discover what’s happening under our noses. The now-defunct Gourmet magazine followed with a story about the food cart/truck scene in our neighbor to the north.
It doesn’t take a genius to understand the excitement about food carts. In an era when many would-be restaurateurs can’t get their projects bankrolled, a food cart focusing on just a few perfect, delicious items fits the bill.
Low overhead that translates to better prices, personal service, eating you can do outside on the street, and the buzz of mobility that encourages customers to know just how quickly the cool kids move (you can follow James at @downtownwaffles) — all of these things make food carts/trucks an idea whose time has come.
James says it didn’t have to be waffles.
“Not everyone likes hot dogs,” he told me.
Yes, they are good. The most popular are dripping with warmed Nutella.
His current topping list bespeaks a people-pleaser figuring out the tastes of local foodies.
My guess is that people in-the-know will start ordering the signature waffles by name (the “Tyler Jackson” is named after his friend, whose family owns Jackson’s Jewelers across the street).
Who wouldn’t want a waffle named after them? Mine would be Nutella layered with banana slices.
Soon the days will get shorter and the warmth of a waffle browned right in front of you might just lure you out of your office on a rainy day.
James has a plan for that, too.
“It’s called Goretex.”
If you go, get there early (say 8-2 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday).
Oddly, many of his customers wait in their cars on Liberty Street NE for their waffles to be handed to them.
No biggie. James is game.
