By Helina Bailey

This past weekend provided us with a taste of summer, complete with sunshine, high temperatures, and ice cream. If you were lucky enough to stop by Sticks&Scoops in Maynardville for their grand opening on March 25th/26th, you undoubtedly felt like you were partaking in a fun summer event! I treated my children to some ice cream on Sunday evening and was shocked by the amazing turnout.

There was a huge line for ice cream but no one seemed to mind. The picnic benches were filled with families enjoying dinner from the food trucks in the parking lot, and dessert from Sticks&Scoops. My kids certainly did not mind the wait, as they eagerly ran towards the bounce house on site. While they bounced away, I helped myself to some hearty food from TK’s Gourmet Food Wagon. While I was disappointed to find that they were sold out of their smoked pulled pork, the loaded tots hit the spot, and the smoked chicken salad was perfection.

I was able to speak with Tom, the owner of TK’s Gourmet Food Wagon, and found out that he had gone through 100lbs of smoked pork that day! The turnout for Sticks&Scoops was phenomenal, with locals eager to support the business’s new location and grab a bite to eat from the local food trucks. TK’s Gourmet Food Truck is the bright yellow food truck seen around Union County, and the official food truck of the Union County Opry. You can find the food truck, with their extensive menu, at every one of the Opry’s upcoming events, starting with their concert on April 1st.

In addition to TK’s Gourmet Food Wagon, Kazoku Hibachi Express was also on site, wipping up amazing hibachi and yaki soba. While, I enjoyed a meal from TK’s, my sister got herself to a generously portioned chicken yaki soba meal from Kazoku. The hibachi food truck will stay on site for people to purchase lunch and dinner when they come for dessert. You can find them Mon/Wed/Sat from 3pm-8pm, and on Thu/Fri/Sun from 12pm-8pm.

After finishing our food, it was time to force my children out of the bounce house so they could enjoy their ice cream before it melted. If you have children attending a school in the area, like I do, they will undoubtedly recognize the truck. My little ones were ecstatic when they saw the ice cream truck parked on site and realized the “new” ice cream place was the one they already love, the one that came to their school.

The scoops are large, and the ice cream is always perfectly creamy with Sticks&Scoops only using Blue Bell ice cream. The business, which started as a food truck (ice cream truck) in 2020 by a local family, wanted to ensure residents of Union County always have access to delicious ice cream and donut holes. Their truck will still be available for special events, but with the permanent location, we will always know where to find them.

It was all hands on deck as the bustling business whipped up a thousand milkshakes and banana splits, selling out of chocolate, strawberry, and cookies&cream ice cream over the weekend. Kaycee Alverez, one of the owners could not have been happier with their grand opening. The weather was beautiful, and the people were amazing. “I want to give a huge thank you to the community for coming to support us.”

The husband and wife duo, Jorge and Kaycee Alverez, opened Sticks&Scoops with Kaycee’s parents, Travis and Sheryl Roark. They look forward to serving the community all year long. You can stop in for a scoop Thursday through Sunday. They are open from 12pm-9pm Thur/Fri/Sat and from 12pm-7pm on Sundays. They are located at 3570 Maynardville Hwy, Maynardville, TN, United States, Tennessee. You can find more information on their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SticksScoops/

To find more information about TK’s Gourmet Food Wagon, follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Tksgourmetfoodwagon