MANSFIELD — Andrew Bolesky grew up around great food and has turned that passion into a successful food truck, Deja Food.
He and his wife, Rosell, are now ready to take the next step in cuisine by buying and opening a new brick-and-mortar restaurant at the former Fork & Fingers site in downtown Mansfield.
“We are looking forward to it,” Bolesky said Friday morning. “We want to do the same Filipino/American cuisine we do with the food truck and expand on it with salads, seafood, burgers, sandwiches and steaks, eventually.”
Fork & Fingers closed in September after a four-decade run, reportedly due to COVID-19 pandemic staffing issues.
The Bolesky duo, operating officially as A&R Bolesky, LLC, hope to make the purchase of the facility and restaurant equipment at 54 Park Ave. West with a financial plan that includes $48,500 from the City of Mansfield’s revolving loan fund.
The request is scheduled to be considered Tuesday by the city’s Board of Control and then thereafter by Mansfield City Council. The couple is also obtaining a $100,000 loan from Mechanics Bank and are investing $16,500 themselves, according to paperwork filed with the city.
The plan calls for the loan to the city to be repaid with 5-percent interest over the next 17 years, according to the paperwork.
It’s the next natural step for Bolesky, who grew up working around Mrs. B’s Beautiful Foods, owned by his mother, Mary. He also worked at the former China Club in Mansfield for local restauranteur/entrepreneur Dan Lew.
Bolesky considers both of them mentors, offering food experience that deepened with the assistance of his wife, whom he married five years ago.
“My wife being Filipina, I got to spend some time (in Asia) and it expanded my culinary palate,” Bolesky said.
The Deja Food food truck menu has a wide variety of offerings, including popular crab Rangoon, egg rolls, island dogs (with pineapple, bacon and shaved coconut), Filipino-style meatball subs, beef spring rolls, wings, pork dumplings and cheddar tots, among others.
He said the couple has a three-stage plan to open the restaurant.
“The kitchen is pretty much ready to go, though I do have a new grill I want to install,” he said.
The second phase is a re-do of the former Mexican restaurant’s interior, including fresh paint, lighting and theme, as well as a new floor.
“We have also applied for a few grants to re-do the outdoor façade, which would be the final step,” Bolesky said.
He said they hope to have the new restaurant open by April, depending on the timing of the funding.
“We have been trying to get (the restaurant) since October,” he said. “We are just waiting on council approval.”
The food truck will also continue for the time being, including potential catering efforts.
“As of right now, yes,” Bolesky said. “We have scheduled the truck for some events, starting in March.
“We may not do as many things with it as we used to do, but we want to keep it for business and also to promote the brick-and-mortar restaurant.”
