Queen City Cookies truck: pink elephants, tasty treats

The next food truck to hit the streets in Cincinnati won't look like any that have come before it. Queen City Cookies' "Schnecken Shack," set to roll through downtown before the end of April.

Sure to get attention, the truck incorporates the elephant-inspired vision of Queen City Cookies owner Peggy Shannon, with assistance from graphic designer Lisa Ballard. "I had the idea the truck should be an elephant and have the blanket area open to serve from," Shannon says. "Lisa thought to put the elephant in the back window, which I think is a stroke of genius. It completely expresses the essence of who we are: fun, unexpected, attention-to-detail and delicious."

As with the rest of Queen City Cookies' ventures, from the storefront at Findlay Market to gourmet offerings in specialty stores like Dean and Deluca and online, the focus on good taste and joy shaped the food truck's initial menu. "We’re focusing on three areas of service for the truck, so the menu will change out during the day," Shannon says. "For our breakfast fans, individual schnecken rolls (or by the box for those who can’t get enough), pig pockets (adorable pig pop overs filled with ham, cheese), my latest creation, donut toast (a baked donut in the shape of toast that’s sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, frittatas, a vegan popover option, crack pie (which lives up to its name) and of course, Coffee Emporium coffee to kick start the day. Later in the day, we’ll have ice cream sandwiches made with Madison’s gelato and our cookies, amazingly dense Oreo brownie explosions, Bundt cakes (think bourbon), cupcakes and light-as-a-feather meringue swirls in cardamom, Madagascar vanilla, heavy cream, violet lavender, tangerine, raspberry. We also have a full line of beverages — Steez Tea, Synergy drinks."

For more information, visit Queen City Cookies online and read the Soapbox Q&A with Peggy Shannon.

By Elissa Yancey
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