COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL
APRIL 2018 | 3
BUSINESS Q&A
MEETTHEMERCHANT
OUR STAFF
Tu-Tu’s Lunch Wagon
Editor/Publisher
MATT WINTERS
editor@crbizjournal.com
John and Aileen Roberts, owners
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday
through Saturday, closed Sunday
Reporter
LUKE WHITTAKER
lwhittaker@crbizjournal.com
1509 259th Pl., Ocean Park
360-244-2712
Office Coordinator
MARLENE QUILLIN
mquillin@chinookobserver.com
Revenue Director
KARI BORGEN
kborgen@dailyastorian.com
NEXT ISSUE
Publication Date
May 9
Advertising Deadline
May 2
CONTACT
INFORMATION
Submit news to:
news@crbizjournal.com
COAST RIVER
BUSINESS JOURNAL
205 Bolstad S. Suite 2
P.O. Box 427
Long Beach, WA 98631
800-643-3703
crbizjournal.com
LUKE WHITTAKER
John and Aileen Roberts have operated Tu-Tu’s lunch wagon at 1509 259th Pl. in Ocean Park seasonally for the past six years. The Roberts spent a year remodeling
the 55-year-old wagon ‘from the ground up’ in their carport.
By LUKE WHITTAKER
lwhittaker@crbizjournal.com
Coast River Business Journal is
published the every month.
One-year subscription is $84.95.
Opinions expressed by contributing
writers and guest columnists do
not necessarily reflect the opinions
of the Publisher. Letters to the
Editor will be accepted, and will
be printed at the discretion of the
Editor. Reproduction in whole or in
part without written permission is
strictly prohibited.
© Copyright 2018
Coast River Business Journal
When did first start the ‘lunch
wagon’?
“This is our 6th year of being
here.”
What inspired you to start the
business?
“My wife (Aileen) is Hawai-
ian. We’ve owned restaurants in
Hawaii. Over here we were doing
pizza and fish and chips, that kind
of stuff — but we’re old. I’m 77.
We were driving around in a field in
northern California and I found this
old 55-year-old wagon. I just had
to have it. It just looked cool. We
rebuilt it and here we are.”
What did the wagon rebuild
entail?
“It had to be completely rebuilt
from the ground up. We did it
ourselves in the carport. It took a
year… new floors, walls, insu-
lation, framing, ceiling — new
everything. It’s 55-years-old. It’s
like me. I like old stuff. People in
the neighborhood helped out. My
friend gave me the awning. It cost
me a bottle of gin.”
What were your initial expec-
tations with the lunch wagon?
“Just to help supplement our
Social Security and it does that.
We’re only open for lunch, from
11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aileen preps
all morning, she makes everything
from scratch.”
How many customers do you
see on a typical day?
“In the summer, around 100, but
sometimes up to 200, just depend-
ing on the holidays. This time of
year, it’s the working people, our
regulars.”
What’s the most popular
item?
“The stir fry bowl. It’s fresh
vegetables stir fried. It’s vegan
friendly, or you can have it with
the chicken, pork or beef. We sell
different Hawaiian things. We have
kimchi and people love it. I never
thought people would buy kimchi
but we sell a lot of it.”
Are you considering any addi-
tions to the menu?
“We’re thinking of adding a
spinach wrap with Kahlua pork.
The stir fry was the last thing we’ve
added and it been really popular.”
What did you do previously?
“We had a restaurant in Hawaii
on the big island. My wife loves to
cook Hawaiian food, she’s been in
the food business all her life.”
What’s the most challenging
part?
“Just keeping everything run-
ning, but it’s not too hard. We’re
used to it.”