A taste of Pella comes to Albia

Want to get a fresh fruity fix without having to drive very far? Amber Mockenhaupt, who owns and has run the Big Acai, pronounced “ah-sigh-ee” in Pella for almost five years, is going on the road and Albia is on her route!

“Over the years I’ve noticed a large following of customers from Albia,” said Mockenhaupt. ”When I decided to add a trailer, I knew that Albia would be one of my regular stops. Sarah Hopkins [owner of Mustard Seed and Seedling] is a regular customer in Pella. When she found out I was going to have the food trailer, she offered her lot [next to Restoration Dental] for a parking spot.”

Mockenhaupt did a trial run on Monday, April 21.

“The residents of Albia definitely showed up today, and I am glad for the warm welcome,” said Mockenhaupt. “I plan to be parked in Albia when I am able until June 1. After June 1, I will be here from 11 a.m. on most Thursdays. There will be a few weeks that I’ll be at events and unable to be in Albia, but I will make every effort to keep with the Thursday schedule. Customers can find the weekly schedule for the trailer by following ‘Big Acai Indianola’ on Instagram and Facebook.”

Mockenhaupt said her menu will vary depending on if she has help. Although she usually offers real fruit smoothies, she was unable to do so this time as she was working solo. As for the star of the show, the Big Acai Bowl, every week will bring a rotation of four base flavors with one always being acai. Acai berries are a Brazilian superfruit that grow on acai palm trees in the rainforests of Central and South America. Besides containing vitamins and minerals, they have an incredibly high amount of antioxidants. 

The acai bowls come in three different sizes and all are topped with granola and bananas as part of the base price. From the bigacaibowl.com website, these may be a few of the options that will be offered:

Base: acai, coconut, mango, pitaya, blue magic, cacao, and ube.

Toppings: almonds, bee pollen, blueberry, blackberry, cacao drizzle, cacao nibs, chia seeds, coconut, dates, goji berry, hemp seeds, mixed berry, peanut butter, pineapple, and vanilla pudding. Almond butter, strawberry, and gf granola are an additional charge. One free topping is included in the price with each additional topping costing extra.

Some prefab combinations are listed at the check out window to help customers in the decision-making process

Having more options from which to choose is always a big plus in small towns whether it’s clothing shops, retail merchants, gas stations, antique stores, etc., and in this case, food. This is another great chance to support small businesses which are the heart and soul of a thriving small town.