Other than the website that went live last month, Gorilla Cheese has been somewhat of a mystery, but now the owner, James Klayman, steps forward to tell us that (pending an upcoming city inspection) he plans to launch the grilled-cheese truck on May 2. Klayman is a Long Island native who worked in restaurants as everything from a fry cook to a sous-chef before becoming a real-estate broker. He was inspired to open a food truck when he witnessed Kogi hysteria during a trip to Los Angeles, and L.A.’s Grilled Cheese Truck convinced him that grilled cheeses were the way to go. “I’ve always been a comfort-food guy,” he tells us. “And I’ve always been a big mac-and-cheese person. Throughout college, people used to come over to my apartment and say, ‘Cook me a grilled cheese.’”
With that in mind, Klayman bought a fourteen-foot Lance potato-chip truck and built a custom kitchen in it. The truck is currently in Florida being wrapped with a graphic. As for New York’s other grilled-cheese trucks (Milk Truck and Morris) Klayman says, “Would I be happier if there were no others? Sure. But there are. It’s a big city, and my food is just simple, tasty comfort food, and I don’t think there’s any comparison for what I cook.” He says, “There’s a pizza place on every corner, and everyone’s making a living.” He’s hoping his homemade dipping sauces and thick-cut bread will give him an edge: “I’m going to hit the city with a storm and be one of the top trucks real fast.”
