After his family was tired of the Watertown, New York winters, they packed up and moved south. Matthew Papaianni brought his Italian heritage with him through great recipes. He started a food truck you might have seen rolling across the CSRA. The bright colors and animated food pictures adorn the Beefed Up truck which began serving burgers, hotdogs, and more in 2020.
“Business started slow but then we began serving food at Bridgestone and Generac. That is when our food truck business started picking up,” Papaianni explained.
Before Hurricane Helene hit, he signed a rental agreement for a brick-and-mortar location for Beefed Up at 1696 Knox Avenue in North Augusta. He intends to continue operating the food truck; it is a miracle it’s still on four wheels.
“My mom had parked the food truck before the storm hit. Thirty trees fell all around it but by the grace of God, not one fell on the truck.”
Papaianni turned his family’s blessing into helping feed linemen in the area with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two weeks.
Today, they will celebrate with a Grand Opening at their new location from 10:30 am until 9:00 pm. Hamburgers and some of their other food truck specialties will be on the menu.
“I pride myself in my hamburgers, but we will also be featuring some recipes like lasagna that have been in my Italian family for generations.”
Ironically, the 1696 location was home to a fellow New Yorker’s restaurant, Le Bodega Eatery, which opened in January of this year, but unfortunately closed after about six months.
Beefed Up is hoping for a more successful outcome. The food truck will continue to roll. Beefed Up’s catering business is growing and now with the addition of a permanent location, Papaianni hopes families in the CSRA will embrace one of the most famous descriptions of food from his Italian heritage, “The best memories are made around the table.”
Beefed Up’s hours beyond the Grand Opening week will be Sunday, 10:30 am until 6:00 pm and Wednesday through Saturday, 10:30 am until 10:00 pm, and yes, breakfast will be on the menu.
For more information, follow them on Facebook here.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
