You’re stuck in a pickle. No, not a literal one, but this situation may even be worse than being stuck in a large, green, vinegared cucumber. Let’s examine the scene: it’s a late Friday night. You and your friends are perusing the student neighborhood, socializing, having a pretty grand time. But there’s one problem—you’re stomach has now been grumbling for an hour, but you don’t want the party to stop any time soon (plus you were finally getting up the nerve to talk to that cutie over there). So what should you do about your current dilemma? The answer is pretty simple. Mosey on over to The Monchon, a food truck located right in front of the Old Hickory BBQ restaurant. This production is both a great place to feed your weekend late night hunger and keep the party going—even a potential conversation starter with this love interest of yours. Plus, hey, when the conversation starts to dwindle, there’s food to stuff in your face! Not to mention, inspiration and perseverance seem to be key ingredients to this business, and who knows, maybe that’s what makes their sauce so special.

The Monchon was born in November 2007 through a collaboration between Eduardo Arroyo and Adrian Perez, both University of Dayton students. They “always felt the need of a place to eat on campus during the late hours.” This sandwich business is run primarily by students and is Arroyo and Perez’s way of encouraging a fun social environment over delicious food. The Monchon truck provides a “party atmosphere late night.”

So what was the inspiration for their catchy name? The dynamic duo broke it down into a pretty simple equation for me: Monchon= Munchies-On with a twist

Their sandwiches can be made from different selections of meat, but there are three very unique ingredients that make this sandwich something apart from the rest. Firstly, the bread of these sandwiches are made of a special Spanish recipe (more than 500 years old!) that makes the bread especially soft. To complement this soft texture, potato chips are added in order to give their chow a crunch. Lastly, they use a secret sauce, described by Arroyo as “a mayo-ketchup mix with other delicious ingredients”. This special combination makes for quite a taste-bud spectacle, but the most recommended item on the menu? Arroyo and Perez say, definitively, the Pulled Pork Sandwich, because “the combination of flavors make your taste buds explode!” Just what every college student craves on a late night out.

This restaurant isn’t just a fun hangout. It’s an ongoing opportunity. It began as an opportunity for Arroyo and Perez to test their footing in the business world, and has evolved into a chance for more students at UD to be employed. This opportunity is what introduced the pair to a “multi-disciplinary lab”, where they have been launched into to a multitude of fields, all by stepping into the world of business. The learning experience they have gained from starting and successfully running their own business continues to grow. The fact this business is on wheels could even be stretched to a figurative value—this company has really taken the co-creators places. It’s brought them to the doorstep of their entrepreneurship dreams and has led them to gain many lessons applicable to everyday life. It’s helped them fine-tune their patience and perseverance through the growth of this company, but most importantly they’ve learned to strategize. “Sometimes ideas might be good but they don’t work in the real world, because the strategy does not work,” described the pair in our interview. This key piece of advice has kept The Monchon growing, even vamping the truck with new neon lights, an outdoor stereo, and even a bubble machine! Talk about a whole new dimension to add to your typical weekend night! And after these installations, The Monchon plans on going green and running completely on solar power. Now that’s inspiring—helping the environment and making dreams come true. Am I describing a cartoon super hero? Nope, folks. I’m talking about a student-run restaurant open Friday and Saturday, 9 PM to 3 AM.

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So don’t just take my word for it. Venture out this upcoming weekend and take a bite of inspiration! Arroyo and Perez are pretty nice guys, too—they are offering a special for all you readers out there. Just mention this article while purchasing some grub at The Monchon, and the first 50 customers will receive any sandwich for $2.50! Just check out this website: http://uddeals.com/deals/any-sandwich-on-the-menu-for-just-2-50-deal-exclusive-to-dayton-most-metro-readers/

And that right there is the bee’s patellas.