Food truck with a focus on 'fresh food done well' set to open restaurant in Farmington

A burger-and-fries joint on wheels is the latest food truck to find a permanent brick-and-mortar location in Metro Detroit.

The Rolling Stoves is on track to transform into The Rolling Stoves: Parked. The new name reflects the change in business for the restaurant, which hopes to open its doors in Farmington by spring 2019. The Rolling Stoves will still cater events.

Work is currently underway in a building shared with a Dunkin’ Donuts on the northeast corner of Eight Mile and Farmington roads.

The restaurant will expand on the food truck’s current menu, which focuses on "All-American" fare such as hamburgers, fries, fried pickles, onion rings, and more. Owner Joshua Mansfield says that while they plan on adding a few salads and other items, he still wants to keep the menu simple and focused on a fresh product done well.

The restaurant itself will be a sit-down, fast-casual spot with both indoor and outdoor seating and an open kitchen. Joshua looks to old-fashioned American diners as inspiration.

"With social media, Netflix, groceries being delivered to your door, people can stay at home all day long now," he says.

"We want people to come out and be a part of the community. We want to create a spot where people can come and chill like at those old-school diners. That’s what I’m hoping for."

Joshua started The Rolling Stoves with wife Carli six years ago. Each with backgrounds in the food industry, Joshua says that food trucks at the time weren’t known commodities. It was a risk, but one the young couple was willing to take.

It’s since paid off. Now the Mansfields are fielding requests for a sit-down restaurant--where diners can reliably find them day-in, day-out--so often that a permanent location was the next logical step.

Opening in Farmington, where the Mansfields and their young family call home, only made sense, he says.

Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.

Enjoy this story? Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.

Read more articles by MJ Galbraith.

MJ Galbraith is a writer and musician living in Detroit. Follow him on Twitter @mikegalbraith.