By Briley Gargis
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – A duo from Indianapolis plans to soon launch a new food truck in Warsaw with a focus on barbecue food.

Pictured: Brandon McGinnis (L) and Luis Alvarez (R) next to their large capacity pit smoker.

Smoke & Swine owners Brandon McGinnis and Luis Alvarez hope to revolutionize the barbecue scene with a new food truck that will be ready in a matter of weeks.

The food truck is still under construction, but will be used for special events as well as a standard location that the owners declined to reveal yet.

McGinnis, a web developer, says his family and friends have been praising the barbecue he makes for a long time and have constantly told him he could start a very successful restaurant with his recipes.

Mcginnis says his attention to prep and quality, as well as Alvarez’s unique touch to the taste and style of barbecue, gives them an edge above others.

Alvarez says he has plenty of experience in the food industry, working in different kitchens. He plans to introduce a creative and unique fusion to common barbecue staples.

“My father is Bolivian and my mother is Cuban. Both came to this country in the 50s – my brothers and I are first-generation Americans on both our mother and father’s sides of our family,” Alvarez said.

“My mother and grandmother would cook traditional Cuban style dishes which led to a love for foods such as black beans and rice, ropa vieja, arroz con pollo, congri, flan, plantains, etc. etc. … these foods, while different, all share a similar spice profile which gives the food a particular taste. With the food trailer, we have an avenue in which we can cook these flavors that I grew up with, influencing some of our dishes.”

Smoke & Swine’s menu, they said, will be constantly shifting.

“We are going to have dishes like arroz congri, ropa vieja, and Cubano’s. The flavor profiles Luis has introduced just took the BBQ I was already making to a whole other level. It was the perfect pairing,” McGinnis said.

Smoke & Swine has aspirations to become a technologically advanced experience as well. With the web design and computer experience Mcginnis has, the team is preparing to launch an app along with the launch of the food truck. Features will include a trailer locator, real-time inventory on menus, the ability to save past orders for reordering and payment methods, order tracking, rewards, and more.

They plan to work with the area’s farmers and suppliers and Mcginnis said they are open to having different suppliers provide meat at different times.

“Different meats require different prep time as well as a different type of prep,” McGinnis said.

That can range anywhere from a couple of hours to 18 hours, maybe even longer.

“We care more about quality than quantity and want to make sure our meat is the best possible,” McGinnis said.

The truck will be equipped with a large smoker capable of serving a day’s worth of meat. It will also be equipped with a full prep kitchen where the two will perfect their offerings.

One goal they have in mind is to start inviting other chefs and smokers to bring their own meat and menus to the truck.

“We’re going to call these ‘Pit Takeovers’ where we will invite other local Pitmasters (or even celebrity Pitmasters for fundraising events) to use our trailer to prep and make their own BBQ on our smokers.”

They plan to appear at several places around town every month with hopes of partnering with other businesses and restaurants in the area.

Most importantly, Smoke & Swine is built on the idea of giving back, they said.

“Giving back, especially to a community that is already giving me a lot of opportunity, is part of this fabric,” McGinnis said.

Smoke & Swine wants to be able to donate food to those in need and is willing to work with various food banks and donation centers around the community. McGinnis also plans to start “The Thompson Lunchbox Foundation” in memory of his best friend, James Thompson. He will also dedicate the foundation to his friend’s mother as well, who has recently passed away.

“He absolutely loved kids. Never had any of his own but was ‘Uncle James’ to our son and all of our friend’s children,” McGinnis said. Thompson’s kindness toward others has inspired him.

“I want to partner with local organizations who share the same sentiment and help the kids in the entire region eat,” McGinnis said.

Learn more about the company on their social media accounts at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.