The Tally Mac Shack, one of the area’s most popular food trucks and restaurants, will soon be serving its award-winning comfort food on the campus of Florida State University. The five-time winner of Tallahassee’s favorite food truck award will be offering its unique flavor-infused macaroni and cheese dishes at the 1851 Dining Hall below the Azalea Residence Hall and at Doak Campbell Stadium during FSU home football games this season.
In addition, a Tally Mac Shack food truck will be making pop-up appearances around campus throughout the school year.
“We are extremely pleased to bring an established local favorite on campus for the FSU community to enjoy,” says Daniel Howley, the General Manger of Concessions for Sodexo, FSU’s dining partner. “Tally Mac Shack is a great fit for our students, faculty and staff, as well as the thousands of visitors we will welcome to home football games this season. It is our goal to provide quality, diverse dining experiences, and this partnership allows everyone to experience amazing local cuisine without leaving campus.”
Tally Mac Shack is owned by Justin Cruz, an FSU graduate who gave up a job with the state in 2017 to pursue his entrepreneurial dream. In just two years, Cruz has turned an old Frito Lay delivery van into a fleet of food trucks and a brick-and-mortar restaurant serving creative twists on macaroni-and-cheese favorites. He is now about to introduce his vision to tens of thousands on the campus of his alma mater.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to bring Tally Mac Shack to FSU,” Cruz says. “We have built a loyal following by delivering the right balance of the familiar and the unexpected, and we are confident that we can make that same connection on campus. Our team is very excited about serving our most popular mac-and-cheese dishes with menus designed specifically for both 1851 and Doak Campbell Stadium. Having a full-time presence on campus is a dream come true.”
Cruz says that Tally Mac Shack will continue to operate the food trucks and restaurant inside Happy Motoring on South Monroe. He is continuing to hire and train staff to meet the increased demands, providing additional jobs for students. He has also stepped up his supply orders.
“We are buying a lot more cheese,” he says.
Tally Mac Shack is joining four other food concepts inside the 1851 dining space, located at 824 West Jefferson St. next to the FSU Police Station. Inside the stadium, they can be found under the West Stands on the lower level near Section 33.
