SlapTruck! makes waves

Matt Valentino opened the local food truck, SlapTruck!, a year ago, with the goal of owning a restaurant while prioritizing his family. Today, the small business is already wondering if it’s time to expand.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of Savannah, Valentino worked under several well-known chefs, including some at Palmetto Bluff and then for Michael Anthony. From each experience, he found himself taking bits of wisdom and inspiration. When he was approached about being head chef at The Pearl in Bluffton, he wasn’t quite sure it was the right time.

“I ended up interviewing for The Pearl,” he explains. “I said upfront, ‘I don’t know if I’m ready. I have a kid on the way.’”

But that honesty resonated with the owner, who was also a few months out from the birth of his own child and who worried about putting his family at risk with a restaurant endeavor. Together, the two decided to take a chance, and Valentino’s wife, Christel, was there pushing him forward the whole time.

“While we were dating, I was a sous chef, and she just kept saying I was ready. Her support made me think I could do this.”

Valentino gained the experience and confidence he needed at The Pearl and began dabbling in other culinary endeavors. He started an indoor microgreens farm, which took off over the course of seven years, in which time he started sourcing microgreens and edible flowers for chefs in the area.

But Christel’s belief in him never wavered and never left his mind. Valentino recalls a Christmas about ten years ago when his wife bought him a toy food truck to symbolize ownership of his own business someday. After the toy sat on the shelf for a decade, and after years of experiencing different chefs, cuisines and ups and downs, Valentino realized if there was one business he could manage with a young family, it was a food truck. Without the complications of paying for a lease or managing a huge staff, in addition to the freedom to express his own culinary vision, SlapTruck! was born.

Valentino didn’t want to be held to one specific concept or cuisine, and he recalled a 16-year-old dishwasher from The Pearl who often told him his food “slaps.” With that in mind, he decided to make an open concept menu where the primary qualification is well-sourced ingredients and good food.

The menu includes anything from smash burgers to chicken sandwiches, home-smoked pork tacos and creative appetizers like flash fried corn ribs. And their ingredients are restaurant-quality with well-sourced meats, unique bun options, homegrown microgreens, hand cut fries and fresh-squeezed citrus. On top of that, Valentine continues to make innovative dishes, sometimes inspired by the most unexpected things.

“My daughter [Harper] was watching Bluey and asked, ‘what’s ants on a log?’ And it inspired me to create an elevated Tunisian ants on a log for the menu.”

The truck also prioritizes local business collaborations with breweries like Southern Barrel and Lot 9, highlighting the tastes of those businesses in their dishes. And they’ve found a supportive community among the other food trucks like Tin and Tallow, School Pizza and Food Savvy, who share opportunities with each other that they can’t do themselves.

“I really didn’t know what to expect, but we’re getting a lot of inquiries now. We’d like to expand more to Hilton Head and Savannah, but we’re getting requests for multiple events on a single day, so another truck would be great.”

SlapTruck! visits breweries and neighborhoods throughout the week and also offers private catered events. Valentino says, “whatever the concept, we can fulfill it with a 10x20 kitchen.”

Christel continues to help out with paperwork and taking care of Harper and their newest addition, Oliver. Valentino says he couldn’t do any of this without his wife’s continual support.

To find them, check out their monthly schedule pinned on Instagram and Facebook.