Leah Wafful opened the Waffles & Whip food truck this year, serving up—just as the name implies—waffles topped with whipped cream. Photo: Missie Lafrenz Photography
Writer: Karla Walsh
Think beyond corn dogs, kabobs and the Iowa State Fair favorite pork chop on a stick. How about doughy Liège waffles (with a caramelized sugar exterior that’s reminiscent of a crème brûlée in texture) on a stick, decorated with sweet and savory toppings? That’s exactly what this new metro food trailer, Waffles & Whip, provides.
The brand was created and is owned by Leah Wafful, whose name actually inspired the waffle food choice. She began brainstorming new potential business ventures after her two Bronze515 airbrush spray tan studios went on a brief hiatus during the pandemic. Last August, she came across several images of horse trailers converted into mobile bars (similar to Aaron Byrd’s Sugarfoot Mobile Bar we reported on last fall) on Pinterest, which sparked the idea of a mobile “Wafful waffle bar” that she could use to pop up at small events.
She found a trailer for sale in Nebraska, tapped a contractor friend to transform the design, then landed on the name: “It’s catchy, plus whipped cream goes really well on top of pancakes and waffles,” she says.
Wafful designs the recipes, which she makes in an 80-pound cast-iron Liège waffle maker she imported from Belgium. Recipe names are a nod to some local gems (“The 515,” with powdered sugar) and her childhood favorites (including the toasted pecan and pecan praline syrup-topped “Good Vibrations” waffle, a nod to the 1991 Marky Mark song).
Wafful explains that, unlike typical batter-based waffles, the dough-based Liège (pronounced lee-aisz) waffles have to rise and are made with yeast, pearl sugar, milk and butter. She sizzles them up on the waffle maker, pops in a food-safe stick, then gets to topping with whipped cream and more (such as fresh berries, cheesecake bites and nut butter).
Since it’s a part-time passion project for Wafful, she’s currently accepting bookings on evenings and weekends and for 150 guests or fewer. Think weddings, graduation parties, business open houses, bridal showers, neighborhood gatherings.
Learn more and reserve the trailer for your soirèe at wafflesandwhip.com, and follow the brand on Instagram @wafflesandwhip.
