RALIEGH, N.C. — The N.C. State Fair opens today for the 2023 season and is a huge economic draw for vendors.
The yellow food truck of Chef's D’Lites has been making its way to the fair for over 20 years and resides between the grand stand bathrooms and the waterfall.
Felicia Turrentine-Daniel, the co-owner of Chef's D'Lites, says the fair is her second home, making the pilgrimage from Greensboro year after year uprooting her life for weeks.
“It's just something about being here,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
She says the food truck soon will be filled with her crew, powdered sugar, fryer grease and excitement.
“And though family might not be working in here by blood, that's what keeps me going. And I absolutely love it ... I wouldn't trade it for anything,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
Some of the fan favorites are a deep-fried Cuban roll, deep-fried Key lime pie bites, atomic tots, the Chickenator and deep-fried mac-n-cheese bites.
“One lady was like, 'Well, do you still do Oreos?' No, we haven't done Oreos in a long time, but we've got things better now. You know, everybody does Oreos, but we do a lot of other things and it seems to work out better,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
She said the fair is what keeps the truck running, making the majority of its yearly income during the duration of the fair.
“Percentage wise, I'd say 55 to 60% of it would come from this for the year... This is what keeps us going. I don't do a lot of advertising and all of that, but I'm so thankful for our repeat customers that have been with us for so long,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
With this much profit, she plans year-round for the fair, coming up with new menu items and grocery lists and getting in contact with vendors.
“So this is all, this is a whole year, all year long. And I think it's like that for me just because of what it means to me,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
Her uncle, Vincent Thomas, started Chef's D’Lites at the fair over 20 years ago.
“I remember maybe three years ago he was having a surgery right before the fair, and I said, 'Well, you don't need to come out here. You know, we've got everything under control.' And he's like, 'See, if I can't come out there, I might as well just die.' So I'm, 'Well, don't say that,'” Turrentine-Daniel said.
This May, her uncle passed away, and two days after his funeral, she got a call from her doctor saying her heart function was at 13%. She says she even was going to decline having the surgery if it meant missing the fair.
“I said, 'OK, here's the deal. Here's the agreement I'll make. If you do the surgery now, will I be up? Ready, energized and good to go by Oct. 1?’ My doctor said, ‘Oh yeah, you'll be fine.’ I said, ‘I’m serious because I have to do the fair,’” Turrentine-Daniel said.
Despite having open heart surgery in August, Turrentine-Daniel has been prepping her truck and will be at the fair this year for its financial and emotional importance.
“It's the feeling and the energy of being out here. It just keeps you going,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
Her uncle is not here this year, but she feels him all around and cannot wait to see the fairgoers who have been repeat customers for years.
“There's some of the customers ... one in particular, he's been coming here. His middle school did a field trip and he was here, then he comes every year. He's grown out of high school, college and he's got his master's. He's married, he has children, but he still comes here every single year,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
Turrentine-Daniel said a woman even came to the fair from half way across the world to try her food after seeing it on Facebook.
“…She told me her story and she's like, I came all the way from Africa to come here and see you guys and just try,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
She said she appreciates every customer she has and the money they spend year after year at her truck.
“I appreciate every little penny, every little dollar. I appreciate all of them, because you just, you just don't know what's going to happen,” Turrentine-Daniel said.
Chef's D’Lites' new food item this year is deep-fried bread pudding bites.
The fair runs Oct. 12-22.