Who says you can’t level up during a pandemic? Wicked Oak Barbecue food truck is moving into a permanent location next to King of the Coop in Seminole Heights. That’s a powerhouse duo.
Wicked Oak is set to make its debut at 6607 N. Florida Ave. in mid- to late-August (it’ll live in the same space Empamamas took over when Armature Works was closed). That means we’re weeks away from signature eats like loaded mac and cheese, BBQ fries and nachos, pulled chicken and pork sandos as well as house made sauces. Basically, it’s barbecue combinations for days.
Owner, Felix “Bubba” Flores, teased the new location on Facebook on July 15, “[..] COVID for the most part has made the food truck business pretty much non-existent and so we had to re-evaluate and change direction a bit.”
Het dropped a hint (“#smokinouttheheights”), then news broke, and the concept’s cult following was celebrated on social media. The excitement is shared by King of the Coop owner, Joe Dodd.
“We are extremely excited and proud of Bubba. I’ve been following Bubba since he went full time with the truck and it’s been pretty dope to see him morph into what Wicked Oak is becoming,” Dodd said in a text message to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “We are happy to have the space to lease to him to help grow his business.”
“We are looking forward to all the stuff we will be planning together and working together to create a space within the community where people can come get great food in a great atmosphere,” Dodd added. “It’s always been part of the KOTC brand to have community involvement and what better way than to share a space to drive more people to the area.”
Dodd also told CL that there is new window art coming soon to better clarify the spaces. More details to come when the official opening date is announced.
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