Black-owned food truck opens near campus

The 9th Ave Cafe is located across from the FAMU softball complex. Photo courtesy: Alexis Thornton

A new up and coming Black-owned food truck, 9th Ave Café, has become a popular food truck.

It is a family- owned business. Will and Walt Williams, brothers and Tallahassee natives, decided to open a family food truck business in the beginning part of 2022 in honor of their grandmother.

The name 9th Ave Cafe came from the street their grandmother grew up on in Delray in Broward County. It is the street where their family roots originated.

The Williams brothers wanted to continue their grandmother’s legacy by creating a business in remembrance of her.  Their entire family is known for making some of the best finger-licking food. 9th Ave Cafe is best known for its egg rolls, along with multiple food choices on their menu such as wings, tenders, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, and their signature 9th Ave fruit punch and sweet tea drinks.

“Well, I can say that they do an awesome job of serving great foods, great taste and great customer service,” Randy Hinson said. “I stopped by because I wanted to taste the food, which ended up being very delicious and I will go back there for more. Also, I wanted to support Black businesses. If it becomes a restaurant in the near future, I will definitely go there with hopes that the menu will eventually expand.”

The brothers said they plan on adding more special items for special days, such as taco Tuesdays.

“Honestly, what got us into the restaurant business is that everybody in our family can cook,” Jayson Williams said. “That old school greasy food we grew up eating. They publicly shame our people whether it comes from each one of us or different ones of us about our bodies. We shouldn’t be putting each other down, instead we should be uplifting one another and that is what this family business is all about.”

9th Ave Cafe is well organized and provides several paying options whether it’s through cash app, Venmo, credit card, debit card, cash or even checks. Their food truck is located at 2022 Wahnish Way, across from the Florida A&M University softball complex. Their hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Williams brothers said having a food truck close to FAMU was the perfect location. They said they wanted to give back to their community.

“My experience being a first-time customer was great,” Consepseon Mitchell said. “The employees were cool and the wait wasn’t long. I got the chicken tender combo with fries and their signature sweet tea. The food was well seasoned and they didn’t give small portions which I liked. I also liked how crispy the tenders were too. In the future, I would like to see them create their own unique sauces or menu items to stand out more.”

The Williams brothers hope to expand their business and eventually have a brick-and-mortar restaurant with more food on the menu.

Their ultimate goal for 9th Ave Café, billed as “Home of the egg rolls,” is to be the best food truck in town.