GREENSBORO, N.C. — The owners of the Big Gay Food Truck on Spring Garden Street in Greensboro aren’t letting an attempted robbery get their spirit down.
“I don’t think that it was targeted to the LGBT community,” said co-owner Drew Wofford. “We have a great police department and I feel really safe here in Greensboro and on Spring Garden Street. There are bad people everywhere in the world; they are going to do bad things and it’s certainly not going to squash my business or my pride. We are still here doing it."
On April 8, surveillance footage showed a man coming to the back door of the food truck and talking with co-owner Austin Allen, who was inside the truck at the time. The man is heard on the surveillance video asking about the type of food the truck sells.
“I couldn’t really understand him because I was in the back end of the truck with music playing, so I had to get closer to him and as I got closer to him that’s when he decided to pull out the gun (and) enter the truck,” Allen said. “I was definitely shocked. (I) took a step back and was definitely a little nervous too. My heart was racing, especially when you have a gun pointed at you.”
The interaction lasted just a few seconds. The suspect, who police described as a 6’1” man, did not get away with any money.
“The reason why he probably didn’t steal any (money) is because we are on Spring Garden. It’s a busy road in the middle of the day, so I’m sure he didn’t want to be there that long either,” said Allen.
This attempted robbery is the fourth in several weeks throughout Greensboro. Three other food trucks were robbed in March. Police say those three are connected but are not sure if the Big Gay Food Truck incident is tied to them as well.
“The cost of goods, the cost of living, things are skyrocketing,” Wofford said. “People can’t afford to live right now and it’s driving people to do very desperate things and when you are driven to the point of being evicted from your house, can’t provide food for your kids, that puts you in a real desperate situation where you (would do) anything to survive.”
Wofford said he can't say whether the attempted robbery was an act of desperation. According to Allen, they have stocked up on some pepper spray and are looking at other methods to defend themselves if something were to happen again. In a perfect world, Wofford said, he’d like to see the suspect apologize and even ask for a job.
“I would accept an apology from anyone, everyone deserves a second chance,” Wofford said. “I’d more like to figure out the root cause of why it drives somebody to the point of holding a gun up and having to rob food trucks.”
Police are investigating three other food truck robberies:
- March 24: Taqueria el Torito, 2635 Randleman Road, robbed at 10:20 p.m.
- March 25: Taqueria el Farito, 1611 East Bessemer Avenue, robbed at 8:51 p.m.
- March 25: 123 Tacos, 2906 West Gate City Boulevard, robbed at 9:45 p.m.