Marc & Kim Runnels
Founders of Pop's Bayou Mama's
“Since we’ve met, we’ve prospered. We were doing well before, but as a team we’ve taken it to another level,” shares Marc, the owner and cook behind Pop’s Bayou Mama’s, a local food truck bringing the taste of Louisiana to Aberdeen.
Marc and Kim first met while working in an oilfield in North Dakota. Though Marc had long dreamed of opening a food truck, it was Kim who pushed him to take the leap. “Marc kept saying no, but I knew we could make it happen, it wasn’t just a dream,” she explains.
The road to launching Pop’s Bayou Mama’s wasn’t easy. Marc notes that one in three businesses fail, and the upfront costs can be daunting. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated their plans, but after selling their house in Texas, they were able to put down a large down payment. A local bank stepped in with the rest of the financing. Then came the challenge of finding a place to park their restaurant on wheels. Eventually, they secured a spot at 120 N State St. and their journey began.
On opening day, nearly 40 people wrapped around the block waiting for a taste. Marc and Kim say the support from the Aberdeen community has been everything.
As for running the business, Kim explains: “I take care of the business side, and Pop does the cooking. For him, it’s not a job- it’s a hobby. He loves cooking for people and seeing them enjoy the food.”
Marc, who lived in New Orleans from age 4 to 30, first came up with the name “Bayou Mama’s” when he was just 18. Neither he nor Kim are formally trained chefs, but, as he puts it, “We’re a mom and pop who are very good at cooking and baking.”
Marc with the snowball machine
Their menu reflects that authenticity: Shrimp Po-Boys, Cubans, Ferdi sandwiches, jambalaya, daily hot plates (often previewed in Marc’s Facebook videos), and snoballs - their very first equipment purchase, brought straight from New Orleans.
Now wrapping up their third season, Marc and Kim say Aberdeen truly feels like home. Looking ahead, they plan to expand, dreaming of one day having a restaurant.
