A new food truck, The Pastrami Wagon, is now open at 100 SW 2nd Street in Downtown Bentonville.

The food truck’s menu includes sandwiches with pastrami, smoked brisket, and smoked bologna. Side items include coleslaw, chips, and a “big ol’ pickle on a stick.”

As the weather turns colder, owner Brian Richey said they’ll expand to offering soups as well.

The truck is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., although it may close a couple hours early if business is slow. On Sundays, Richey expects to be open from 11 a.m. to around 3 p.m.

A plumber with decades of experience, Richey is new to food service. He does, however, have experience owning a business (BLR Plumbing) and has been cooking for people in his personal life for many years.

“Running the business of a food truck is new to me, but I’ve been cooking out in the backyard for anywhere from 5 to 50 people on the regular for as long as I can remember,” he said.

Richey also took inspiration from his father, who started a food truck business in the Pine Bluff area about 15 years ago. While his father is retired now, he was on hand for the opening of The Pastrami Wagon last week.

At first, Richey’s plan was to run his food truck as a side gig and “just bounce around, a few days here and there” at different festivals and gatherings, he said.

But after talking with Kyle Reidy, who is opening a new bar at the same location sometime later this year, he decided to put roots down in the parking lot.

Richey hired Lanaé Clark to run day-to-day operations. Clark has lived in Northwest Arkansas for about a year and previously worked in food trucks in Colorado.

She said the early customer response has been positive. A surprise standout has been the “campfire beans” — a proprietary mix of beans, spices, and meat.

“People are like, ‘We love it all, but those beans, I don’t know what you do to those beans, but they are so good,’” Clark said. “Random thing on the menu, but people are raving over the beans.”