GRAHAM (KFDX / KJTL) – After being canceled last year due to the pandemic, thousands of food lovers flocked to Graham for the 6th Annual Texas Food Truck Championship.

Food is one of the few things in the world that can bring everyone together.

Since the COVID-19 guidelines canceled many in-person events in 2020, 2021 has become the year of reunion. And what better way to get together than with so many varieties of food.

“We had a great turnout for the Possum pedal. The bike ride this morning, we had records there. We have over 400 runners. We have 42 food trucks here. Looking around, based on what we’ve seen in the past, I think we’re going to break our record, ”said Grant Ingram, community director and Graham’s visitors bureau.

Restaurants in particular had to make many changes throughout the pandemic. But food trucks like Bada Bing Pizza from San Angelo and Dallas Kousin’s Potatoes.

“As COVID went on, it actually worked better because a lot of people, it was more like a traveling style. So people just wanted to grab the food and go, they didn’t care too much about sitting down and things like that. We were delivering all this stuff because they didn’t want to go anywhere because of COVID, ”said A’mi-chel-le Lewis, owner of Kousin’s Potatoes.

“Sure, it was slow during the covid peak, but it’s coming back strong and people are just ready to get out of the house and do something. And we’re happy to be there and be a part of it, ”said Bada Bing owner Mark Phillips.

In business for 11 years and winning the award for Best American Cuisine at the Championships in 2019, Phillips aims to be the Grand Champion this year.

“I hope to win the big one. These guys behind me, they won the $ 10,000 last year, ”said Phillips, referring to the 2019 Grand Champion Camo Hippie Chowhall.

“There aren’t many around here, but you see a few more. It’s just a matter of logistics and being able to haul enough dough and stuff like that to make it worth it to go out and have an event.

Lewis started Kousin’s Potatoes just before the pandemic and recently got his food truck in March.

She views the championship and starting her business during the pandemic as a learning experience.

“It’s like our second big event. We had our first big food truck competition about a month ago, ”said Lewis.

We’re new food truckers and we’re just trying to get our names out there a little bit more and get a feel for the things and things that are really going on in the food truck world.

Whether it’s competing for the ultimate prize or learning a new trade, people are just happy to stroll through America’s largest downtown plaza.

For the championship results, click on here.