Melissa Marshall said it was a running joke in her family. Who would volunteer to run the food truck?

Her daughter-in-law had started the business but had given it up when she got a great job offer. They cleaned the truck and it sat in the driveway for months.

Meanwhile, Marshall and her husband Tony were looking for a project, even though it took a while before they could fully realize it.

The Marshalls are both former military members. They served together in Afghanistan and lived in Hawaii for a time. When they retired and returned to the service area, they bought a trailer and traveled off and on across the country for years while homeschooling their children.

Now two of her sons are joining the Army. Was it time to reopen the Paradise Pineapple Grill? Her daughter-in-law, a Hawaiian, encouraged her to do so. Although she operated the truck primarily in the Supply and Ash areas of Brunswick County during her time there, it was popular.

“It was always, ‘When are you going to get the truck out?'” Melissa Marshall said. Then it was, ‘What if we did that?'”

They realized this could be a good idea, given the many events and breweries in the greater Wilmington area. And while there are plenty of mobile options for burgers or pizza, Hawaiian food is still something unique. Locals have seen more options for pan-Asian and fusion cuisine, particularly when it comes to poke, a raw fish salad popular in Hawaii. But the Marshalls are planning a home-cooked version of the cuisine.

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“Hawaiian food shouldn’t just taste good. It should convey that feeling of family, of ohana,” Marshall said. “Hawaiian food is simple food.”

They offer traditional dishes such as kalua pork, teriyaki chicken and huli huli chicken wings.

“It’s classic and we serve it with pineapple salsa,” Marshall said. “We do garlic shrimp with lots of garlic and butter.” And for dessert, they’ve perfected their pineapple cake.

Over the past few months, they’ve been upgrading the truck and getting the necessary permits. Now they plan to kick things off on March 1 with a performance at Mannkind Brewing in Leland. The next day, they’ll be at Crossroads Gathering Place for an event with the Southport Island Girls Club.

The Marshalls are new to the food truck business, but she said the community has already been helpful.

“People have been so supportive already,” Marshall said. “We’re excited to get there.”

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Allison Ballard is the food and hospitality reporter for StarNews. Reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Paradise Pineapple Grill Food Truck Serves Wilmington, NC