Latest news with #ChurroMania
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Food truck companies face backlash for catering ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
Several food truck companies have been hit with major backlash online after they were filmed entering Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center. The four companies issued statements after customers threatened to boycott them for doing catering business at the controversial prison in the Everglades. President Donald Trump toured the migrant detention facility earlier this week, which was built in just eight days on a disused air strip as he looks to ramp up deportations. A TikToker filmed trucks belonging to Kona Ice, Churro Mania, Elote Lovers and entering the hastily-constructed facility on July 1, according to the social media post. 'Boycott Kona Ice, Churro Mania, Elote Lovers & the user, Osozalez, posted. 'They love our food but hate out [sic] people.' The TikTok post has received more than 7.5 million views since it was shared earlier this week. The food trucks were contracted to cater for the construction crews building the detention center, according to The Miami Herald. O ther outlets reported the vans were hired for a catering event at the facility. A number of responses to the TikTok post – which received nearly 30,000 comments – said that they would be avoiding the companies in the future. 'Welp, my kids are NEVER getting Kona ice ever again,' one mother wrote. 'The audacity Kona Ice has to show up in my local charter school events that is mostly Hispanic/Latino population is insane. Never again,' another person said. 'Are they seriously celebrating with food from the very people they are locking up there?!' someone else added. 'Boycott them ALL! They can't get my money EVER again!' another said. Churromania, a chain that has more than 120 locations across the U.S. and South America, said it was 'not an event we support' in a statement on social media. 'We have no political agenda, and never have. Still, we take full responsibility for how this looked,' the company said. Ms. Cheezious, a Miami food truck company that serves grilled cheese, said they were approached by a 'disaster response company' to provide meals for 'active service members' stationed at the facility. 'Contrary to misleading online narratives, our presence was not part of any celebration or grand opening, and we are not engaged in ongoing services there,' read a statement on Instagram. Elote Lovers, a Miami-based street food business, issued a lengthy statement on Instagram. 'We did not attend with the intention of supporting this place or what it represents,' the statement said in part. 'We do not support, condone, or align ourselves with any form of oppression, abuse, or injustice. We never have and never will.' The business, which said it was founded by an immigrant family, added that they would reassess how they accept and review bookings in the future to 'ensure our values are respected wherever we go.' Shaved ice company Kona Ice said its trucks are independently owned and operated by franchisees. 'The event was booked through an unknown agency, and the franchisee was unaware of the facility's nature or its association with politically sensitive issues,' Kona Ice's statement read in part. 'Our brand exists to bring a moment of happiness to communities through our shaved ice experience – and we recognize the importance of ensuring that mission is never misinterpreted,' the statement added. The first inmates started arriving at the detention center on Thursday, which is expected to cost $450 million a year to run.
CBS News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Food trucks respond to viral video showing them entering Alligator Alcatraz immigrant detention center
Food truck operators are responding to a viral TikTok video showing them entering Alligator Alcatraz, a controversial immigration detention site in the Everglades, on Tuesday. The video has sparked backlash. Online outrage builds The video, which has garnered more than 21,000 comments as of Thursday evening, shows Kona Ice, ChurroMania, Elote Lovers and Ms. Cheezious food trucks entering the facility. Many commenters on TikTok have called to boycott or "cancel" the businesses involved. Vendors respond to criticism By Thursday evening, each of those companies had posted responses on their social media sites. In a lengthy statement, Kona Ice said, "We were recently made aware that one of our franchisees served shaved ice at a location connected to the Everglades Detention Center project in Florida. The event was booked through an unknown agency and the franchisee was unaware of the facility's nature or its association with politically sensitive issues." ChurroMania said in a statement, "To be clear, that was not an event we support. We have no political agenda, and never have. Still, we take full responsibility for how this looked." Elote Lovers posted a similar message: "This was not an event we endorsed or supported. We do not align ourselves with any political or ideological agenda and never have. Our food truck was booked to provide a service—nothing more." Ms. Cheezious stated, "Ms. Cheezious food truck was approached by a disaster response company to aid in providing meals for active service members stationed at the immigration site. Contrary to misleading online narratives, our presence was not part of any celebration or grand opening, and we are not engaged in ongoing services there." Another food truck speaks out CBS News Miami's news partners at the Miami Herald reported another food truck, Che Grill, which serves Argentinian food, was also at the site. Owner Gonzalo Cardenas told the Herald that most of the workers they served spoke Spanish. He said that although he is an immigrant himself, he believes enforcement is important. "It seems like it was necessary to organize the situation," Cardenas told the Herald. "If they keep coming and coming and coming, somehow we have to regulate them." He told the paper he has not received backlash for providing services to the project.
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Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Elote, churrasco and churros: Alligator Alcatraz workers fed by Miami food trucks
As the construction on Florida's new immigrant detention center, Alligator Alcatraz, was finalizing, elote, churros and churrasco were hauled in to feed the workforce. Food trucks that Miami locals know and love were contracted this week to feed the workers that were tasked with assembling the 1,000-bed detention center on an old airstrip in the Everglades. The food trucks, which had been coming in going amid the frenzy of contractors and visits from politicos including President Donald Trump, included Mexican street food truck Elote Lovers, Venezuelan sweet treats franchise Churro Mania and Argentinian meat from Che Grill. READ MORE: Alligator Alcatraz receives first immigrant detainees Wednesday night Along with them, local favorite Ms. Cheezious, which recently closed its brick-and-mortar spot on Biscayne Boulevard, and Kona Ice, a flavored-ice vendor that's a mainstay at fancy birthday parties, were seen rolling through the entrance of the detention center this week. 'They love our food but they hate our people,' wrote Tiktok user @ocozalez in a post documenting the vendors entering the construction site. Commenters expressed outrage that the vendors would contract their services for a project that could potentially affect Hispanic immigrants. 'Are they seriously celebrating with the food from the very people they are locking up in there?' asked a commenter. The reason for hiring out several food trucks that specialize in Latin food was obvious to Che Grill owner Gonzalo Cardenas. Almost all the construction workers were Hispanic, he told the Miami Herald. 'Everyone was speaking Spanish,' he said. According to Cardenas, who sent his son and another worker to Alligator Alcatraz, the food truck was stationed outside the high security area and his team was not allowed to leave that space. His son, Valentin, told him that the detention center appeared very organized. Cardenas, 55, was glad to get the business at this time of year. June is one of the slowest months for his food truck, which his family has operated since 2010 and does catering and major events throughout the county. His team sold between 250-300 orders of churrasco con papas a day at the site. Cardenas said though he is an immigrant he understands that enforcement is important, especially if the numbers of undocumented immigrants are as bad as he hears. 'It seems like it was necessary to organize the situation,' he told the Herald. 'If they keep coming and coming and coming — somehow we have to regulate them.' He said he hasn't received backlash from providing services to the project. It was just another job. Ms. Cheezius, a local food truck that specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches, apparently did receive some negative feedback after providing services at the center. They posted on their Instagram that they were not involved in 'ongoing services' at Alligator Alcatraz. They were contracted by a 'disaster relief organization' to provide meals to the active service members at the site. Cardenas confirmed that his job was done at the detention camp as well. Che Grill's last day was Wednesday, which was the day the first group of detainees arrived.
