Get sweet and savory waffles on a stick at this new food truck 🧇

Growing up in Hawaii, Lahaina DeMello’s grandmother took her to breakfast every morning.

“I love, love, love breakfast,” she says.

Breakfast just might be DeMello’s favorite meal of the day, so it makes sense that she’d open a food truck all about waffles.

The Lahaina’s WaffleDogs truck officially opened its doors early this month, serving all kinds of waffles on a stick. Get a classic Belgian waffle or a Nathan’s hot dog sandwiched inside the breakfast favorite. There’s a pepperoni-and-mozzarella waffle with a side of marinara for dipping. DeMello’s favorite is the breakfast version with sausage. Dessert waffles are also in the works, like a turtle version with caramel and nuts.

“I love the idea that it’s waffles and that I can do it in the morning and also in the evening,” DeMello says. “If it were me, I would totally get a waffle and sausage in the evening. I’d drizzle it with a little bit of syrup and it’s just comforting.”

DeMello also owns the food truck Lahaina’s Shave Ice, which you may have seen at local events serving up the colorful shave ice of your dreams. (In Hawaii, DeMello says it’s called shave ice — not shaved.)

“Me and my husband have always juggled around the idea of starting our own business,” she says. “My husband does a lot of remodeling on his own, but we wanted to do something together. Then the pandemic hit and it was a really weird time — I don’t know how else to say it. Somehow, shave ice came up — and that’s something I can identify with and it was something I could stand behind.”

DeMello knew instantly that Lahaina’s Shave Ice would be a hit.

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“My husband built out the trailer and we just took off from there,” she says. “I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of support from the community.”

When she’s getting shave ice for herself, DeMello leans on the tropical flavors — lychee, coconut, lilicoi.

“I find people’s (favorites) depend on where they’re from and what they grew up with. ‘I always get Tiger’s Blood with cream on it’ because somebody used to take them to wherever and that’s what they always had,” DeMello says. “Some people really like cotton candy and bubble gum, which are flavors I didn’t originally have.”

Although Tucson winters can be warm, an icy treat in the middle of December isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea. DeMello was searching for an idea for a winter food truck — and WaffleDogs was born.

“Shave ice is grand and so good,” she says. “But it’s still a little difficult (in winter) — we can do it, but it’s not like the majority of the year. We were juggling around ideas of how and what, so we came up with WaffleDogs.”

Although DeMello misses Hawaii, she loves Tucson.

“The ocean is the only thing that’s missing,” she says.

The food trucks won’t always be out at the same time, but you can follow their schedules on Instagram to see where they'll be next. Find Lahaina's WaffleDogs here and Lahaina's Shave Ice here.