The Daily Standard
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C-Town's famous wings as they looked when the restaurant was a popular spot on Havemann Road.
CELINA- Grand Lake foodies get excited, because C-Town Wings is back.
After closing their restaurant in October, C-Town Wings owners Julia and Kerry Roberts decided to make a comeback with a food truck called C-Town Wings on Wheels.
The opening of the food truck was announced online June 7, but Julia said it's been in the works since the beginning of 2024.
She added that following the restaurant's closure, she realized quickly that retirement wasn't for her and that she needed something more to fill her time.
Kerry and Julia both love being involved in the community and wanted to find a way to do that without having to manage 75 employees at a large restaurant.
Julia said she is looking forward to the flexibility of a food truck as well as getting back into the community.
"I feel like I've just kind of been behind the curtain," she said. "I like being out and talking to people."
C-Town Wings on Wheels made its first appearance at Celina Lake Festival over the weekend in the form of a tent. The food trailer they planned to use was ordered at the beginning of the year but is behind on construction.
Julia said they hope to receive the completed truck some time in mid-August.
The pair set up shop using both old and new equipment. The set up is similar to what they've used in their appearances at the Mercer County Fair.
Julia said she and her husband were just excited to see all of the familiar faces they had missed since closing. They're very happy that customers have welcomed every menu item back.
C-Town Wings on Wheels provides as much flavor and variety as possible.
"We are going to do some of our most popular things from the restaurant. Obviously, we'll be doing our boneless wings, thats our biggest seller, with all of our sauces," Julia said.
The truck will also feature tenderloins, smash burgers, a new Italian pan sausage smash burger, french fries, fried pickles, pulled pork nachos and much more.
The main menu items will be available at local festivals and fairs. When the truck is not parked at a festival or fair, it will be parked at 420 S. Main St., Celina, also owned by Julia and Kerry. At this location, customers will be able to purchase salads and loaded baked potatoes in addition to the main menu items.
Julia said customers will also be able to order online and pick up food from the truck just like they did at the restaurant.
C-Town Wings on Wheels will make appearances at the Mercer, Darke and Van Wert county fairs in August.
Their restaurant at 1903 Havemann Road closed Oct. 21. The couple now leases the building to La Carreta Mexican Grill and Cantina, which has since opened its second Celina location there.
Julia said the decision to close the restaurant doors was not an easy one and came from a place of bittersweet anticipation and gratitude.
"My husband has been wanting to get out for some time," she had said. "He works seven days a week and I work six. We've had the place for sale for about three years. He's been telling me all that time that we need to take a step back and sell and start enjoying a little more of our time. I have been kind of fighting him because this is what I do. We built it from the ground up; it's very special and it's very sentimental to me and of course to him, too, but he looks at the quality of life a little more than maybe what I do. It was definitely not easy."
The couple opened the restaurant on Main Street in Celina in July 2011. On April 18, 2017, it moved to Havemann Road to accommodate higher demand.
