Travelin’ Tom’s truck offers customers a little pick-me-up

Jennifer Kress lined up in front of Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck of West Davenport on a sunny, cold Friday morning  to get one of her favorite drinks – a hot vanilla latte. “It’s my go-to drink,” she said. Others in line at the coffee shop on wheels ordered Tilt Nitro Energy drinks, frappes, cappuccinos, white […]

Jennifer Kress lined up in front of Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck of West Davenport on a sunny, cold Friday morning  to get one of her favorite drinks – a hot vanilla latte. “It’s my go-to drink,” she said. Others in line at the coffee shop on wheels ordered Tilt Nitro Energy drinks, frappes, cappuccinos, white chocolate mochas and many other drinks.

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“We’ve been doing good business. … When people see our truck, they come up and tell me ‘We really need Travelin’s Tom’s to stop by this place or that place,’” said Paul Fuller, who along with his wife Haley, owns the Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck. That colorful coffee truck – complete with a high-tech digital screen on the vehicle showcasing its menu – has been doing business in the Quad Cities region since last September. But it was the center of attention on Friday morning, March 29, as it received an official welcoming to the community with a Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony. The celebration was held as it made one of its regular stops in the parking lot at Genesis Medical Center - West Campus in Davenport. “Thank you for taking time to create something new and unique,” Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said during the brief ceremony. That ceremony attracted about 40 business and community leaders – plus dozens of Genesis workers who were lined up in the parking lot to get drinks. (Travelin’ Tom’s workers were offering free drinks to commemorate the ribbon-cutting ceremony.) Mr. Fuller said that frappes are one of the most popular drinks with his customers. “But it really depends on where we stop,” he added. Some of the other hot and cold pick-me-up drinks available at Travelin’ Tom’s include: spiced chai, mocha, cinnamon apple cider, nitro cold brew, iced macchiato and a Tommy Palmer. Drink prices range from $4 to $7. Travelin’ Tom’s, which has about seven to 10 employees, is on the move and open for business seven days a week. It usually makes about three to four stops a day – many of those at Genesis’ area medical facilities. The truck makes regular stops at Genesis facilities because when Travelin’ Tom’s first started doing business a few months ago, the Fullers really didn’t have a business route in mind. So, they brought their truck to several small communities and events in the area.  Genesis officials saw the coffee truck and asked the Fullers to make stops at the hospitals and clinics. It has turned into a good partnership as they help to serve health care workers in the region.  The coffee truck business is available to visit other businesses and sites in the area. Go here to request a visit from Travelin Tom’s. In addition to operating the local Travelin Tom’s, the Fullers also own Kona Ice of Davenport, which offers flavored shaved ice. The Kona Ice truck also is open for the season. It was scheduled to be at several events in the community over the Easter weekend. A schedule of Travelin’s Tom’s stops can be found here. “When we have Kona's open, the kids come running. This (Travelin’s Tom’s) is something for the adults,” Mr. Fuller said. Kona Ice – along with Travelin’ Tom’s – are national businesses started by Tony Lamb. According to Mr. Fuller, Mr. Lamb started Kona in Kentucky in 2007 after he had a bad experience with an ice cream truck. Today, there are more than 1,000 Kona Ice trucks in 49 states. Travelin’ Tom’s (named after Mr. Lamb’s father) was started by Kona Ice in 2020 and has spread across the country.