A week before Dia De Foods' biggest event of the year, a 1,300-pound shipment of Hatch green chilis was canceled, leaving the South Knoxville food truck in a bind and sending its co-owner across the country for a solution.
Dia De, which operates in front of Southside Garage on Sevier Avenue, hosts a massive Hatch chili roast every year. Customers plan for it. The truck's specials depend on it.
Even though its food distributor dropped the ball, co-owner Erica Collins told Knox News, canceling was not an option. The roast is a "huge reason why we exist," she said. "So, we picked up the ball."
Cross-country scramble from Knoxville saves Dia De's biggest day
For co-owner Jesse Rossbach, the solution started with a one-way flight to New Mexico, where he grew up. Rossbach vividly remembers Hatch chili roasts as a central
part of his childhood − the hours spent peeling and packing the peppers, and the smell as they roasted over a flame.
When he opened Dia De alongside Collins five years ago, Rossbach wanted the food truck's cuisine to reflect his childhood in New Mexico, where Hatch chilis were used to enhance a myriad of meals.
Returning to New Mexico to pick up Dia De's 1,300-pound order, Rossbach met up with a friend and raced to get the chilis home to Knoxville. They rented a U-Haul, built a makeshift refrigerator in the back with foam insulation and dry ice and loaded the chilis before hitting the road, driving more than 20 hours across five states in just a few days.
Even a flat tire couldn't stop them from making it back in time for the Aug. 29 event, where customers picked up prepackaged orders and enjoyed a variety of specials, from burgers to tacos to mac and cheese incorporating the Hatch chili.
Dia De Foods enjoys loyal South Knoxville following
Dia De Foods found a home on Sevier Avenue three years ago, and Collins said she'd happily keep the food truck outside Southside Garage for the next decade.
The love Collins and Rossbach have for South Knoxville runs deep, but their love for cooking runs deeper. They first came to Knoxville to help open Lonesome Dove in the Old City after launching its first location in Austin, Texas.
The support on display at this year's chili roast showed how much their own brand has grown.
Dia De sold around 800 pounds of chilis during the event and set aside the remaining 500 pounds to use in dishes throughout the year, Rossbach said. As the food truck continues to build a devoted following in Knoxville, opening a restaurant of their own isn't out of the question.
Knox News reporter Joanna Hayes covers restaurants and retail for the business growth and development team. Email: joanna.hayes@knoxnews.com; Instagram: @knoxeat65. Sign up for Joanna's Eat65 email newsletter to get the latest drink and dining news, as well as restaurant recommendations, at knoxnews.com/newsletters.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: A chili crisis sent this Knoxville food truck on a 20-hour rescue mission
