While serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany, Michael Blanchard fell in love with the charm of European Christmas markets. Once he returned home, he collected and perfected recipes and decided to open a German-inspired food truck business called Cocoa Nut in Rexburg. In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Blanchard explained the inspiration behind this business.
“The candied nuts that fill the air, the smell of them, the baked goods, the drinks that you can get as well, it sums up to something that’s just really nice and you can romanticize in memory, and I’ve really done that with my memory of my time there," Blnchard said. "Coming back to Rexburg, Idaho, the coldest place I’ve ever lived, I thought, ‘I should bring some warmth here. How can I do that?’”
Opening Cocoa Nut was his answer. Blanchard serves Belgium-style waffles, fresh candied nuts, and homemade hot chocolate. According to the website, Cocoa Nut is “the coziest looking booth in Rexburg.”
The food truck is currently located next to Deseret Industries in Rexburg and operates from Monday–Saturday from 5 p.m.–10 p.m. Hours of operation and location changes are posted and updated through Instagram and Facebook.
