Summer is one of the busiest seasons for food trucks in Great Falls, and one of the city's newest businesses is using the opportunity to serve more than just meals.
(WATCH: New Great Falls food truck serves up community alongside breakfast and lunch)
The Bootlegger Bandit, a western outlaw-themed food truck specializing in breakfast and lunch, made its debut earlier this year. Co-owner Joncianne Wagoner said the idea came after she and her husband realized a restaurant on wheels offered more flexibility than opening a traditional storefront.
"You can go anywhere in the state of Montana and go over to festivals and fairs and all of that with a truck," Wagoner said.
Before opening, Wagoner turned to the community to help shape the business.
"About a year ago, I reached out to the community to try and figure out what kind of food they wanted in their food truck avenue," she said.
The response has been overwhelming.
"We actually are booked all the way out until the end of August, and that happened within the first three weeks of us being opened. Our schedule just filled up," Wagoner said. "We are all over town. Everyone loves us. We have a lot of repeat customers."
The food truck's name also has local roots. Wagoner said a former boss suggested "Bootlegger Bandit" because the family lives on 50 acres in the Bootlegger area outside Great Falls.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, that's amazing. Yes, definitely,' and so we kind of just took off from there," she said.
The Wagoners run the business as a family, with their six daughters helping along the way. Wagoner said the goal is not only to build a successful business but also to teach their children the importance of hard work and community service.
"The community is really important to us, and it's really important that we show our kids that community means a lot," she said. "That's why we run it with our kids — to build that work ethic and to build that sense of community."
Supporting the community extends beyond the food they serve. Wagoner said they purchase ingredients locally whenever possible, sourcing products like meat and bread from Great Falls retailers.
The family also uses the business to support local causes. Last week, the Bootlegger Bandit donated 30% of its proceeds to Cub Haven.
"Thirty percent of our proceeds are going to them so they can open an adolescent treatment center here in Great Falls," Wagoner said.
As a military family in a military community, Wagoner said they also make it a priority to support veterans and active-duty service members through fundraising events.
"Being a military town, I feel like it's really important to focus on veterans and also active-duty military," she said.
Wagoner credits much of the food truck's early success to the support of the Great Falls community and fellow vendors.
"Super supportive. I couldn't ask for a better group. Even the food trucks—it's just a little tight-knit community," she said.
For the Wagoner family, serving customers is only part of the mission.
"It's super important for us to give back to the community. We try and give back as much as we can," Wagoner said.
