DAFT’s Saturday grand opening features sweet launch of Creamsters
Shawna and Joe Polidori hold Creamster items that will be available beginning with Saturday’s grand opening.
Six months after its successful soft opening, Canton’s Detroit Area Food Trucks (DAFT) is celebrating a slightly-delayed grand opening Saturday with an emphasis on sweetness and streamlined service.
The husband-and-wife ownership team of Joe and Shawna Polidori — both highly-esteemed chefs who stamped their names on the southeast-Michigan food truck map with their wildly-popular Impasto brand — are primed for a re-energizing return to business Saturday following a six-week hiatus during which they refined their unique format.
“There were a few flaws in our ordering software that we had to iron out,” said Joe Polidori. “Customers were unable to order items off our Impasto and Slider Station menus at the same time, so we decided to shut it down until we were able to streamline the ordering process.
“Due to the technical issues, we had to shut down Slider Station after a week or two (after the January soft opening), which was disappointing because people were loving it. Everything is good now and we’re excited for Saturday’s official grand opening.”
Innovative idea
Following a concept made popular on the West Coast, DAFT is a virtual brick-and-mortar food court that allows customers to order food-truck items online and/or by visiting their location at 39481 Joy Road in Canton.
Beginning Saturday, orders can be placed by visiting the business’s website (click here) or at a kiosk at the Joy Road location.
“Some customers were confused by the on-site ordering process, so we’ve made it much easier — and we added a two-way intercom system so we can communicate with our customers better.”
Due to Health Department regulations, customers are not allowed to enter the DAFT facility due to its status as a commissary kitchen.
What makes DAFT extra-special is it serves as a base for up-and-coming culinary professionals who may not be able to afford their own facility.
Culinary rock stars
“There are so many culinary rock stars who can’t get started because of the cost of owning their own place,” said Shawna Polidori. “DAFT is like a stepping stone for them to get started. They grow into their business in our kitchen until they grow out of it and can open a place of their own.”
Saturday will mark the debut of Creamsters (and the return of Slider Station), the Polidoris’ brand new brand that promises to please your sweet tooth.
Creamsters’ menu features fresh, made-from-scratch cookies, milk shakes (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, with rotating flavors including birthday cake) and ice cream. The latter two will be customizable thanks to an array of toppings.
“The cookies are served warm and the shakes and ice cream are served cold,” Shawna Polidori said.
They aim to please (your tastebuds and budgets)
Additional changes customers will embrace are smaller, more-affordable serving sizes for the Impasto brand, which offers amazing wraps and appetizers, including parmesan truffle fries.
“We want this to be a one-stop shop, so to speak, where people can get fresh, made-from-scratch, made-to-order food — from wraps, to sliders, to sweet items like cookies, shakes and ice cream,” Joe Polidori said.
“We have four kids, so we know there are some picky eaters out there,” Joe Polidori said, smiling. “So we’re offering three different unique menus that we’re confident will please everyone.”
DAFT is expanding its hours of operation, too, Joe and Shawna noted.
“Due to staff shortages, we were forced to close for two hours each day before,” Joe Polidori said. “We’ll be open all day now — and our hours will run later on weekends.”
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
