It’s not Hump Day anymore, it’s Wafel Wednesday. The Wafels and Dinges truck on Kissena Boulevard, named “the Kaastar Truck,” became a food truck favorite on the Queens College Campus after first arriving last year.
Wafels & Dinges sells Belgian waffles varying from sweet to savory flavors. Queens College Campus dubbed all Wednesdays Wafel Wednesday due to the truck’s established schedule.
The easily recognizable yellow truck gathers crowds of people at all hours during service time.
Students feel that it is more than just food; it is a cultural experience. The truck brings common Belgian snacks to customers in Queens. Queens College freshman John Pang says, “It’s a good cultural experience, and it’s not that expensive.”
Students like that Wafel Wednesday is reserved for just one day. Freshman MaggieZhou says, “because it’s once a week, you have to wait for it and it makes you want it more.”
Since Wafels & Dinges’s rising fame, students no longer have to venture out to the original locations, such as Columbus Circle. The truck brings more food choices to the campus. Senior Reon Chang said, “Wafel Wednesday brings something different near Townsend. There’s not many places to eat around here and it’s something we look forward to.”
Wafel Wednesdays became a form of relief for stressed students like sophomore Hannah Yoo, who said, “Once I finish my track workout, I realize that I can get waffles. It’s like a hallelujah moment.”
The most popular menu item is the liège wafel. The liège wafel is the “soft ‘n chewy wafel.” Every wafel has its choice of dinges. The word dinge is Belgian slang for “whatchamacallit,” otherwise known as a wafel topping. The truck’s most popular dinges include Spekuloos, nutella and ice cream.
Spekuloos is a spread made from cookies. Normally found at Trader Joe’s, the spread is called a “cookie butter” and has grown a cult following on its own among frequent patrons of Wafel Wednesdays.
Students praise the wafel truck workers, a.k.a the wafeleurs and wafelettes, for their friendly attitudes and smiles. Brandon, the wafeleur, described his work philosophy as “making sure that everyone gets a waffle with a smile.”
Belgian native Thomas Geest founded Wafels & Dinges. He came to America to achieve his American Dream in the food industry. Thomas DeGeest branded his company by constantly telling his personnel, “We sell people the best moment of their day.”
