Spirit Unbroken

This is the second in a two-part series about dining carts on-campus, as well as the people behind them.

Aside from Lizzie Searing of Lizzie's Curbside Cuisine, Vickie Howlett is the only other independent food vendor left on campus and has also been struggling in the shadow of the new Student Union Food Court.

Sales have been "very down," Howlett said, "and the weather doesn't help."

Her experience plays a pivotal role in her history of success, however, as she is part of the family that started it all 45 years ago.

It was her father, John Howlett, who first began the food vendor service at UConn in 1962.

According to Howlett, her father started off traveling from one construction site to another serving coffee and donuts in the morning and coming back later to serve lunch.

After he began serving the construction workers at UConn, "the students and everybody wanted him to stay there because there wasn't any eating places on campus at that time," she said. "The students petitioned, and the university said 'OK' and set up some sites."

Since then, Howlett, and her siblings Bonny, Sally, David and Steven have all owned and worked in the food wagons on campus.

Even her mother Dorothy, who once owned her own food wagon, still makes all the homemade food.

"I keep her working," Howlett said. "She's 76 years old."

Howlett has been shuffled around the campus since 1978, but her big, blue, custom-designed truck is now settled between the Homer Babbidge Library and the Hawley Armory.

Howlett's niece, Amanda Keufner of Willington, took over her other truck behind the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in September. Keufner is a fresh face in the university's vending industry and has learned a lot about the business during her short time on campus.

"Working here has definitely been an experience," Keufner said. "It's pretty cool because we get to connect on a family level."

Howlett and Searing of Lizzie's Curbside Cuisine both pay per semester to lease their carts' spots, but if the spots were vacated they might never again be up for rent, according to Donald Anderson of UConn Property Management.

"We would have to review whether there was a need," Anderson said.

Whether or not there is a need is just what the vendors are finding out, especially with all the new restaurants now available on campus.

"The food court in the Student Union is basically there for the students," Anderson said. "It's what they wanted."

Because most students end up at the Student Union, both Howlett's and Searing's customers are mostly faculty, staff and graduate students.

"They keep me going throughout the year," Howlett said. "I probably have a couple of them that have been coming for all 29 years."

There are even professors that have been coming to her ever since they were UConn students.

"They can't believe I'm still here, and they're happy 'cause they like my food," she said.

Assistant professor of marketing Robert Bird said Howlett has excellent food and very good customer service.

"Lunch trucks like hers are a part of UConn's heritage and promote healthy competition, resulting in high quality and low prices for consumers," Bird said.

Like Searing, Howlett isn't just a hotdog vender - she serves a wide variety of foods including her own unique specialties.

"I have a lot of healthy stuff," said Howlett, who is part of the Healthy Hearts Restaurant Establishment. She offers fresh garden salads including her famous 'Big Taco Salad.' "It's my own secret recipe from way back."

You can find "quality food and fast friendly service" at both of Howlett's wagons, which are open from 7:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday though Friday.

Howlett serves breakfast and lunch all day and has no intentions of slowing down.