Henry Abuto at his ByWasonga Presents: The Food Truck
It all happened so fast. And by surprise.
Just a few weeks ago, local chef Henry Abuto — who owns the ByWasonga catering company known for its pop-ups at venues like Tulips — got a call from a friend wanting to take him out for dinner. Little did Abuto realize the dinner would turn into a business meeting — and said friend offering to invest in turning the ByWasonga brand into a food truck concept.
So, Abuto leaped at the opportunity — and now, the chef is getting ready to launch ByWasonga Presents: The Food Truck in June.
"Sometimes dreams you didn't even know you had are coming true," Abuto says. "If you could tell nine-year-old Henry when he moved here from Kenya [Abuto hails from Kisumu], that one day you are going to be running a food truck in your hometown, I would have been like, 'There is no way.' It's literally a dream come true."
Henry Abuto
Affectionally named Jonah (yes, after the biblical figure who ran from his calling to Nineveh until he changed his mind after being swallowed by a fish), the truck will serve a menu that Abuto says takes inspiration from "the places and things that have shaped my life, which is Texas; obviously, Kenya; homestyle cooking (my mom is a big influence in the way I cook); and maybe just quicker versions of what you'd get if you were having dinner at my house."
The menu currently lists Abuto's personal specialties: chicken and waffles, meatball skewers, a samosa basket, french fries, and Kenyan-style tacos (available as vegetarian, beef, or chicken). There will also be specials rotating monthly.
The name "ByWasonga Presents" is also meant to allow guest chefs to occasionally take over the truck and showcase their offerings, Abuto says. "I want to find people who are in my position that I am now, and if they want a food truck, help them launch it — so, ByWasonga Presents: Insert Whatever Name You Want in There."
Of course, that plan is for later down the line. For now, Abuto is focused on getting open and sharing his food with more of Fort Worth.
"It's crazy," Abuto says. "This time last year, I had planned on being three months into having my own event space. That was a dream that, I felt really crushed when COVID happened and took it away. For the Lord to come back 15 months later after I've been grinding away at this business during the pandemic, and the growth and success that it's had, for the Lord to present me this opportunity, it's so sweet. Sometimes doors close and we can't see why, and the Lord's like, 'Because I have something different for you.' It's really sweet to see that."
ByWasonga Presents: The Food Truck's first public event will be a Juneteenth fish fry held at Tulips on June 19 at 11 a.m. Ticket information is available here.
