By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
The new kids on the block are at Around the Corner. With their food truck parked at 25th and Postoffice in Galveston, they have been serving up treats with names like Schnitzel, Sauerkraut, Geschnetzeltes, Schnaggetts, and Spätzle along with other menu items that are not easily pronounced unless you are familiar with German.
Judith and Charles Smith pulled up all their stakes in Kansas City, MO and came to the Gulf Coast in September. By November, they were serving up authentic German food to eager Galvestonians and others who had heard about the newest cuisine on the island.
Judith is an authentic German woman who grew up in Berlin and headed to the USA about 21 years ago. She had a job a job with benefits and a real paycheck in Kansas City. Charles is from the USA, and he too had a job with benefits and a paycheck in KC. But they got sand between their toes and caught the free spirit of Galveston while on vacation the summer of 2020.
They knew just as sure as KC is in the center of the continent, they were going to move to the island and open something that served German food or beverages. “We did our research and concluded a food truck was in our budget,” said Julie.
Without knowing anyone in Galveston, they came to town and navigated through the maze of city permits and locating the best distributors of items needed for their German culinary menu items. “We just took a leap of faith,” said Charles.
“It’s turning out great, the Galveston community has been so welcoming to us,” said Julie. “We posted our business on social media and we just can’t believe how many people have come out to support our food truck!” she added.
“Word is getting out and now we have people from other states who heard about us and are coming to try our food when they are in town,” said Charles.
The couple joined Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce and are very pleased with the networking and support they receive. “The chamber is so supportive, we never would have imagined. They treat us the same as they do the larger businesses,” said the couple.
Charles and Judith bring more than German food to Galveston. They bring their love for each other and commitment to teamwork as a husband and wife while living and working together every day. On the job means working in cramped quarters but they wouldn’t change a thing at this point.
“I love her energy, her sweet soul. She has a heart of gold and I want to make her feel like an angel on earth,” said Charles.
“He keeps me grounded when my anxiety kicks in, he’s the one who hugs me and says, ‘baby it’s gonna be okay.’ Then he tells me, the Lord wouldn’t have brought us this far to let us down,” Judith shared.
Their youngest child is out of the home and now the sky is the limit as they work together building the next chapter of their lives in Galveston.
Their affectionate love for each other is contagious and you can’t help but feel their joy as they share their story and their dreams. They hope to one day have a beer garden or even a full-scale German restaurant.
The couple speaks with delight of their regular customers, naming them by name and remembering their favorite menu items. Their love of humanity inspires them to give back to those in need.
With the situation in Ukraine being near and dear to Judith’s heart, the couple donated a portion of their earnings in March to World Kitchen, which in turn provided meals for distressed Ukrainians.
They plan to run another two-week fund raiser starting this Friday at their food truck, Around the Corner.
A portion of all sales will go once again to feed the refugees and distressed people of Ukraine. For their first fund raiser, someone came in and anonymously donated $1,000 to the fundraiser. Perhaps this next round of fund raising will bring in another generous offering.
2 comments
Interesting, as always!
Beautiful artical, thank you for writing it.