- Jay Snyder and Corey Wills started a food truck selling steamed bagel sandwiches and hot dogs.
- The truck, SteamRoller Bagel Sandwiches, is at the Beverage Source every Thursday.
- They started the business in June, taking inspiration from eateries at OU and Miami University.
- For more info, call 614-444-5767, go to www.steamrollerbagel.com or follow them on social media.
NEWARK – It all started with a bagel steamer.
Jay Snyder had spent years trying to find one, to replicate the steamed bagel sandwiches he loved as a student at Miami University. Corey Wills had been on a similar quest — after getting hooked on the sandwiches at Ohio University — and finally was able to get one from a friend.
Everything fell into place this spring, when the two friends got together to reminisce about their college days and devotion to steamed bagels. By the end of the night they had decided to buy a food truck Snyder had found on Craigslist and fire up Wills' steamer.
SteamRoller Bagel Sandwiches was born.
Food truck scene is thriving in Licking County
#LCfoodtrucks: Where are Licking County's food trucks today?
Snyder and Wills have spent the last three months learning the ins and outs of the food truck business — and getting foil wrapped bagel sandwiches into the hands of as many Licking County residents as possible.
"We needed something to do that's fun and just for the enjoyment and the love of it," Wills said. "And that's what it's been like this summer."
The truck has become a Thursday night staple in the parking lot of The Beverage Source, at 1551 W. Church St., in Newark, and has made the rounds to various local breweries. Every time they move, their location is posted on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SteamRollerBagel) and tweeted out to followers on Twitter (@HotSteamyBagels).
"We have fans who are very big advocates (for us)," Snyder said. "They bring their friends. We are growing pretty fast."
One of Wills' favorite things to do is introduce people to steamed bagel sandwiches for the first time. The super hot steam released by the steamer creates a warm, gooey sandwich that still retains the chewiness of a bagel.
When Wills and Snyder first started working on the menu for their food truck, they realized almost everything tastes good on a steamed bagel.
"It's hard to make something bad, but also hard to make something perfect," Snyder said. "And (the sandwiches on the menu) are perfect. It wouldn't be on the menu if we didn't absolutely love it."
After careful, almost scientific testing, Snyder and Wills came up with nine different bagel sandwiches. Each one has a humorous name and tag line and both men hope everyone, including vegetarians, meat lovers and kids, will find something they like on the menu.
They recently began serving hot dogs, served in one of a kind bagel buns.
"We find people come back and diversify (their orders)," he said. "One guy has tried every bagel. I think people are trying new things."
When photographer Sara Tobias and I stopped by The Beverage Source on a Thursday to get some sandwiches, everything sounded so delicious it was hard to pick.
We ended up choosing a Reuben Goldberg ($8) which included all the elements of a classic Reuben on a pumpernickel rye bagel.
We also split a Beats and Booty ($9) — so named because "It's everything you could possibly want in a club."
The sourdough bagel was topped with ham, turkey, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and ranch.
Both sandwiches were warm, delicious and perfectly cooked.
The cheese was melty, the veggies still had a crunch and there was just enough meat to not overwhelm the other flavors.
All sandwiches on the menu are served with crispy kettle chips and there are seasonings available for anyone who wants to spice things up.
Sara's fiance joined us on the patio of The Beverage Source and ordered a Michelangelo ($7), SteamRoller's version of a pizza bagel.
A big pizza bagel fan, the open faced sandwich got his approval.
Not only were the sandwiches tasty, but we felt good about where our dinner had come from.
Both Snyder and Wills told us they try to buy as many local ingredients as they can. The tomatoes on their sandwiches are grown locally, the bagels are made at Block's in Columbus and their meats and cheeses come from Ashery Farms.
The olive salad used on several of their bagels is made fresh by Snyder, and the bagel buns for their hot dogs are made by the Smiling with Hope Bakery at Newark High School.
"We are always explaining, it isn't fast food, it's good food," Wills said.
Anyone who eats at SteamRoller has something else to feel good about, Snyder said. Every week, they donate 10 percent of the proceeds they make to a local nonprofit.
This summer, they've donated to the Central Ohio Youth Ballet, the ALA Association, Camp O'Bannon, juvenile diabetes research and several other causes.
"It's really nice to be able to support something important in the community," Snyder said. "It's something we hope to keep doing, no matter how large we get. It's something that will be part of what we do in the long haul."
Although they have talked about eventually opening up a brick and mortar restaurant, for now the two friends are enjoying driving around in the food truck.
"The people involved in food trucks are great and we know so many people," Wills said. "It's been a good adventure."
ajeffries@newarkadvocate.com
740-328-8544
Twitter: @amsjeffries
PROFILE: College cuisines lead to friendship, food truck
NEWARK – There are probably some diehard Bobcats and Red Hawks fans out there who don't believe that an Ohio University grad and a Miami University alumni could ever see eye to eye.
But Jay Snyder and Corey Wills found they had something in common that over shadowed their colleges' rivalry — a deep abiding love for steamed bagel sandwiches.
Wills, of Newark, was a devoted patron of Bagel Street Deli in Athens. Snyder, of Granville, frequented Bagel and Deli Shop in Oxford, which he thinks is one of the first steamed bagel shops in Ohio.
"Both of us have been known to make road trips for sandwiches," Wills said.
When the two men met through mutual friends, they realized they shared several other traits, including a love of taking on challenges and a "can do" attitude.
"It was one of those things where we realized, 'This is a kindred spirit,'" Snyder said. "That's the kind of person you want to build something from scratch with."
After serving together on a nonprofit board, they became friends. In May they decided to take things a step further and become business partners.
Wills, who works as an accountant, was done with tax season and Snyder had recently stepped down as executive director of the Newark Granville Symphony Orchestra. They decided the time was right to buy a food truck and share their love of bagel sandwiches with others.
"Our families know us and no one was surprised," Wills said. "We are both very lucky to have people to support us with the crazy things we do."
Both Wills and Snyder had some experience in the restaurant business, but most of what they've learned about food trucks has come from working together the last few months.
They started small and gradually expanded their reach, Snyder said.
"We wanted to be careful to pace it right, so we didn't get out there and seem like we didn't know what we are doing," he said. "We've learned an absolute ton."
The food truck has been a great way to test their concept and get feedback before potentially launching a larger restaurant, Snyder said.
"We envision it as a stepping stone to other things," he said. "It's like a mobile laboratory, but we always have had this knowledge about where we are headed."
Whether they are having a busy weekend or a slow night, Snyder and Wills said they've enjoyed the opportunity to grow their friendship and meet new people.
"It's really a true partnership," Wills said. "I'm really lucky to be working with him."
What you need to know
What's so special
• A variety of steamed bagel sandwiches made to order
• Hot dogs served in steamed bagel buns
• Locally made ingredients and a portion of their proceeds goes to charity every week
Show me the door
SteamRoller Bagel Sandwiches is a food truck and travels around Licking County. To find out where they are headed next, follow them on Twitter (@HotSteamyBagels), like them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SteamRollerBagel), call 614-444-5767 or go to www.steamrollerbagel.com.
Just tell me when
SteamRoller Bagel Sandwiches is parked outside The Beverage Source, 1551 W. Church St., Newark, on Thursdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Follow them online for more updated information.
