UPDATED WITH STORY: Dinner is served when Berwick opens food truck court

BERWICK — Some of us whiled away the lockdowns ordering stuff from Amazon. Mike Jones cooked up recipes.

A couple of years later, Jones has his own food truck, one of five parked on First Street in Berwick on Thursday for the opening of the Lighthouse Food Truck Court.

The Jones Specialty Food truck was joined by FlamiNGuyen Vietnamese Cuisine, Body by Thomas, The Southern Spread and Lily Bea’s Snoballs.

The Berwick town government made the food truck court idea become reality on a piece of land it owns at 3278 First St. Officials are encouraging vendors to be at the court 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

The early word is that Jones Specialty Foods will be one of the regulars.

The pandemic indirectly boosted Jones on his way toward being a food truck chef.

“COVID got started, and I was at home cooking,” Jones said. “Everything was shut down. I started creating recipes.”

He started selling pork and seafood rub under the Jones Specialty Foods label. Berwick residents may remember seeing his table at the monthly markets under the bridge.

Then, a year ago, he bought his food truck, mostly because he couldn’t find a brick-and-mortar home for his new business. Then he spent 10 months on the road.

His specialties are pulled pork and loaded fries, and Hog Totz, a pulled pork and tater tots combination.

“It’s been wonderful,” Jones said.

“Bringing the food culture here — that’s my biggest dream.”

The food truck court was officially opened Thursday when Berwick Town Councilwoman Colleen Asked cut a ceremonial ribbon, joined by council colleagues, parish officials, St. Mary Chamber representatives and the vendors.

Askew has been the leader of the effort to create the food truck.

“It’s been my baby, my passion,” Askew said. “Downtown is my passion.”

Nearby, artists Lilly Leonard and Alyssa Muse are devoting their August weekends to completing an outdoor mural, weather permitting.