Popular Tri-Cities food truck chef plans 2nd location. It’s not just for dessert anymore

Jackie Prather was 15 when she got her first job at Hongs Mongolian Restaurant in Kennewick.

Over the next decade, she waitressed at a few big restaurants around the Tri-Cities, giving her a flexible schedule and enough pay to put herself through school and sock some away.

Then, while at a concert a few years ago, Prather saw a line of food trucks and thought it looked like fun.

A thrill-seeker at heart, the West Richland single mom did some research, bought a pickup truck and later turned to Craigslist for a trailer. She spent her nights, after serving tables, learning how to roll ice cream in her kitchen and shopping around for quality products until she was ready to open Rollin’.

Now, Prather has found such a demand for her Thai-style ice cream bouquets that she recently purchased a second trailer and is ready this spring to serve more of the Tri-Cities market.

“This will be our third summer operating, while it’s our first year just going all in and not keeping my backup job (waitressing). It’s been kind of scary,” Prather, 28, told the Tri-City Herald. “I was very nervous to take the jump all the way in. I just feel really lucky to be surrounded by everybody in the community and just coming out, even in December ordering ice cream.”

Her kids, ages 6 and 10, often join her in the trailer after school and on weekends. They will help write lists and get the truck ready to open, but also are good at taste-testing and “making sure that the quality is up to par,” she said.

“They get to come with me, watch and see what it takes. ... That it can be done, and you have to believe in yourself and work very hard.”

20 gallons of ice cream a week

Every Tuesday morning, Prather picks up 20 gallons of cream for the following week from Pure Eire Dairy in Othello.

She says it is pricey buying that large amount from a grass-fed dairy farm, especially in the busy summer months, but she is picky about what she serves her customers and wants to provide locally sourced products.

Her expansion now has her adding dairies in Prosser and Yakima to her supply list.

Prather uses organic coconut milk for those who need dairy-free, and said she tries to ensure that everything on her regular menu is also offered in that option. The only exception is brownies and caramel.

The vanilla-base ice cream is mixed with treats like cookies, cereal, candies or fruit, and is rolled up and placed in bowls.

“It is made to order fresh, and each order is individual,” she said. “There are no preservatives, no additives and there are less than 6 grams of sugar in our large bowl unless you add Oreos or Nutter Butter or cheesecake.”

Prather said she has an extensive menu every day. However, items like cherries and peaches are only seasonal because she refuses to use canned or store-bought fruit.

Her No. 1 seller is “All the Goods” with Oreos, cookie dough and cheesecake.

Ramen bowls

Rollin’ has added milkshakes and smoothies to the menu, along with several ramen bowls. The ingredients in the bowls are cooked in a commissary kitchen, and then put together in the trailer when ordered.

Prather said since her background is waitressing, she hates to make customers wait so she has three employees in the trailer during the busy times, especially since the menu items are labor intensive.

“I hate holding people hostage. It’s the worst,” Prather said, adding that she feels grateful “because our followers have been the coolest people.”

“That’s one of the biggest things that I tell my employees: I want to make sure that people who come out here are not wasting their time or money,” she said. “We need to make sure that we are genuine and we’re being consciously aware of how we’re treating everybody, every day that they come through. The Rollin’ motto is consciousness over convenience.”

Rollin’ has been set up since October at Queensgate Gardens, 1040 Queensgate Drive in Richland.

With it getting warmer outside, Prather is looking to return to her previous spot on Clover Island next to the lighthouse. However, if her second trailer is ready to open by June, she may park it at Howard Amon or Leslie Groves in Richland or stay at Queensgate Gardens.

“They have been really awesome to work with. I buy a lot of fruit from them, and it’s good to see two small businesses working together,” Prather said.

Plus, she recognizes there has been great visibility being so close to Interstate 182 on- and off-ramps near the roundabouts.

She has no plans to go the brick-and-mortar route because she knows how expensive the overhead can be in a restaurant. Though she does see herself buying a third trailer in the future.

The truck currently is open Thursday and Friday from 4-7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2-7 p.m.

It will be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the busier months, but Prather said she likely will remain closed Mondays for a break after the weekend and since she doesn’t stock up on cream until Tuesday.

The ice cream cups sell for $6 and bowls are $8. The ramen is $12.

Rollin’ accepts call-in orders at 509-212-7571.

This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 12:53 PM.