As the sun rises, owner Frank Koppenhaver is up making sandwiches, pastas and loading his pick up truck with boxes of pizza ready to sell at Pierce College.
The Italian food truck parked outside of the North gym every morning invites people to enjoy their food and jokes.
“People think we are funny and silly which is probably true,” said Koppenhaver.
Valentino’s food truck has had a partnership with Pierce for roughly 25 years, their pizza sells at the Freudian Sip and was also sold at the cafeteria before closing for construction.
Due to the lack of a cafeteria on campus, Valentino’s food truck has been one of the few chosen to serve students at Pierce College.
Their flexible hours and funny ways have helped their revenue increase during this semester.
Regular business hours are Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. but are extended for athletic events during weekdays and Sundays.
“We stay longer to help out the parents that need food during games because a lot of food trucks leave earlier than that,” Drew Maybury, employee at Valentino’s food trick said.
The people behind the truck are dedicated to their business and customers.
“When the boss greets me it makes me feel welcomed and like a regular,” Carol Medel a CSUN student said. “And of course the food adds on to the experience.”
Pizza is their specialty and a big part of their business success but they also offer 2 kinds of pasta, 7 different sandwiches, 3 flavors of popcornopolis popcorn and several energy drinks that help students boost their day.
Maybury,18, is a trusted employee of Koppenhaver, he is young but knows everything about the business and how to represent it.
“I’ve known the family for about a year because I am dating my bosses daughter,” Maybury said. “He needed someone he can trust to help him do this.”
The food generally has a big impact on the students because of its quality and more so the affordable prices but “the sheriffs love it,” said Maybury. Their offices are a step away, which makes it convenient for them.
Their effort to accommodate the customers shows on their support towards the smoking policy in parking lots and the investment on tables and chairs where students can eat and enjoy the food comfortably.
“We are quick and efficient, very rarely do we get things wrong,” said Koppenhaver.
