Big Papa Jai has been receiving recognition for its unique, yet iconic BBQ dishes with a street food flare since its inception.
It all began when husband and wife, Jaime and Alyson Juliano, entered a BBQ competition via a radio station. Although neither of them pursued any formal culinary training and were at first only making sauces, their dishes were well-liked by the tasters.
Jaime used to cook for his coworkers as a mechanic, and between that and the competition, he and Alyson realized they enjoyed serving people their food. The two, after serving out of a trailer, finished their proper food truck in late 2020. It was by late 2021 that they started running the food truck full-time.
Jamie’s mother has been a big part of the Big Papa Jai’s BBQ brand. She was involved in its creation and name. She had gifted Jaime with an apron with custom etching that read, “Big Papa Jai’s.” That wasn’t the only aspect of the business she helped with; she bought Jaime and Alyson their first smoker, and her mac and cheese recipe dubbed “Mama’s Mac.”
Jamie and Alyson Juliano bring iconic flavors and innovation with Big Papa Jai’s BBQ.
Mama’s Mac became so well-regarded on the menu that Jaime and Alyson have held events specifically to showcase and serve the mac and cheese recipe.
Jamie and Alyson strive to make their food truck stand out with delicious, consistent, street-style food. They wanted more than the traditional classic meat and side platter, which has been the traditional BBQ style.
Big Papa Jai’s serves their BBQ in the form of tacos or all different types of sandwiches. Almost every menu item is designed to be compact and handheld, but still oozing with flavor. The chef duo never compromises between flavor and ingenuity, creating a unique gastronomic experience with each dish.
Jamie and Alyson not only value family and food, but also community. Their food truck has attended events in Pitman – from the Fourth Fridays and K-9 Food Truck Festival for the past three years to the Fall Craft Fair for one year, and the Witches of Pitman this last year.
“We love doing Pitman, honestly,” Jaime said. “Pitman is probably one of our favorite places to go,” Alyson added.
The pair receives a lot of support from the Pitman and Glassboro area.
“It is the people,” Jamie said. “The venues are very supportive…all the customers that come out are very supportive.”
Alyson noted the experience of booking events in Pitman has been hassle-free and the people were “easy to work with.”
“It was just an all-around great place to serve,” Alyson said, of the various events they have been part of in Pitman. “It’s [a] tight-knit [community]. That’s the beauty of it.”
As the duo continues to make a name for themselves in the food truck industry, the pair plans on keeping the community at its focus. They planned the first Food Truck festival in Franklinville where they are stationed. And they plan to participate and innovate more events in Pitman and beyond.
