If you’re familiar with food truck fare, you’ve probably seen their well-branded exteriors, streamlined kitchens, and creative cuisine. But not all mobile food vendors operate out of a giant, well-equipped trucks — sometimes, all you need is an oven strapped to the back of a Mazda Miata, and a whole lot of charisma. That’s how one enterprising young man, known as Lord Rod, has built his sweet-potato-selling empires.
Operating out of a convertible Mazda Miata NC, Lord Rod has become a fixture of Yokohama’s street food scene. Like many mobile food vendors, before he sets up shop, he tweets out his location to his legion of followers. Wherever he roams, yam fans of all ages line up to chow down on these fluffy, buttery, fresh-baked delights.
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Cooking with style
ロド芋！バイト募集！採用は3〜5人を予定してます。給料ありの研修期間があります。時給1000円〜2000円売り上げにより上下します。16時頃から23時頃まで週5ほどで出れる場合はその方専用の車両を作っていく予定です。
面接希望の方はDMでお願いします。 pic.twitter.com/Xb1rseATQI
— えるろこ ロド芋！「鬼いちゃん」 (@EL_Loco2018) March 25, 2019
Lord Rod’s Mazda Miata
But Lord Rod’s cooking isn’t the only the factor that brought him fame. Fans adore the RodoPot, the affectionate nickname for his Miata. Although its name is a silly-sounding portmanteau of “roadster” and “potato,” the RodoPot fandom is serious business. Here’s some of the fan art — including a knitted car and a scale model, complete with little sweet potatoes in the oven.
ということで、マツダ・ロードスター ロド芋ver.が完成しました！特徴的な炉や煙突、台となるフレームはプラ材で一から制作。フタを開けると芋があります（笑）ネオジム磁石も仕込み、ボディに穴を開けずに固定可能にしてます。
本体の加工も少ないので、赤いロードスターとして楽しむことも可能！ pic.twitter.com/dQxJ3SaPKl
— 🍙まい☆すた🍙 (@1984meister208) May 6, 2019
Even though Lord Rod has built an army of fans, those who’ve met him say he’s simply a friendly, unpretentious car enthusiast who happily poses for selfies with his diners.
Like any good entrepreneur, Lord Rod is looking to grow his business. He’s planning on hiring a few employees and building a second, pink RodoPot.
Here’s to hoping for his continued success!
What’s your favorite local food truck? Have you ever dreamed of opening a mobile restaurant? If so, what would you sell? Tell us in the comments below!
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Source: The Outline
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.
