How A Family-Run Food Truck Became A Hit Spot In Washington Heights

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — It's challenging to point out which step or relationship in Edgar Nivar's life led him to running one of the most popular new food spots in Washington Heights.

Helping out in his grandfather's bakery as a child in the Dominican Republic? His day job for the last 12 years working for Mount Sinai Hospital? The unwavering support from his wife Marjorie Orellana in starting and continuing his own business? Or even a seemingly ordinary fishing trip to Van Cortland Park with his father-in-law?

While the answer undoubtedly has to do with a combination of all these factors and forces, it has led Nivar to run a successful food truck with his family in Washington Heights in an operation that has grown step by step over the last three years.

“I’m glad that I can recognize the success and I can appreciate it because sometimes you’re blind to it," Nivar told Patch as he held back tears. "Maybe you’re too busy, or something, but I know what’s happening and I appreciate every moment."

Aroma, which serves customers at West 185th Street between Audubon and St. Nicholas avenues, dishes out burgers heaped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper, bacon, egg, avocado, and more.

If you aren't feeling a burger, there are also chicken sandwiches, speciality hot dogs and french fries.

"They are a family owned burger joint that blows any burger I've tried out of the park," Upper Manhattan resident Eldina Adames told Patch.

Nivar and his family's journey to operating the successful Upper Manhattan food truck was not without its bumps.

The idea first came during a fishing trip to Van Cortland Park at the beginning of the pandemic with Nivar's father-in-law, Roy Galdame.

He brought the idea to Galdame of starting some sort of business during the uncertainty of the pandemic.

“I wanted to do something on the side, I don’t want to be an employee until I'm 60, so my plan was always to find something to do outside of my 9 to 5," Nivar told Patch.

Galdame, drawing from his time in Los Angeles when he first moved to the United States, pitched the idea of doing some sort of hot dog stand in the neighborhood.

From there, the two bought a small cart with a flat grill and a canopy, and started serving out of it during the summer of 2020 near West 186th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue.

Nivar handled the burgers, his father-in-law Galdame took charge of the hot dogs and his wife, Orellana, worked the register. Nivar's mother-in-law also also eventually joined the team that now employees a variety of family friends.

“Little by little people started liking the flavors, and coming back, and coming back, with a word of mouth type of thing," Nivar said.

As the success grew, it became apparent that the business needed a bigger space.

“The conditions were tough," Nivar said. "Going outside, prepping, carrying things up and down the building's four flights without an elevator every day."

The business kept dishing out food from the grill and tent set up for 2021 and the majority of 2022, but in an effort to find a more secure serving space, Nivar partnered with a person during the summer of last year who had built an enclosed box-like structure on the street during the pandemic.

It became the kitchen's home for a few months before the city eventually came and took everything down because of the lack of permits.

“And then we’re back at square one, we got the old grill that never failed us," Nivar told Patch. "I love this grill, he’s been with us since the beginning, and we brought it back out.

"But now we already know how to do everything, set up the tent, set up the little tables, and we went into emergency mode getting the food out," he added.

Winter was approaching, though, and Nivar knew keeping the operation running during the colder months would be close to impossible.

The team settled on the idea of opening a food truck — and after a trip to pick up the vehicle in Texas — Aroma had a new home.

The Aroma food truck officially opened for business the week before New Year's Day.

“Everybody loves the truck," Niver said. "It looks amazing. We learned from the beginning about keeping the music low, making sure we pick up our garbage, and keeping the area clean. You can’t move forward without the support of the neighborhood."

Nivar and his family recently moved to The Bronx, but previously lived on the Washington Heights corner that the food truck is now located across from.

"I used to envision myself doing something on that corner," he said with a chuckle.

At first the most ordered item was the bacon cheeseburger with the bun toasted on both sides, but recently it has become the Complete burger. The creation comes with basically every ingredient Aroma has to offer: bacon, egg, avocado, and a special pepper, onion, and cabbage mix.

“It’s been a blessing," Nivar said. "To know all those hard days in the rain are coming full circle. People have seen the sacrifice and they’re supporting the outcome. It's been a blessing to see it.”

Aroma's Instagram page now has more than 2,000 followers and gets flooded with supportive comments on its posts.

The food truck is closed on Tuesdays, but open every other day during the afternoon and evening at 559 W. 185th St. You can find out more about Aroma on its Instagram page — here.

A single patty burger costs just $6.

Nivar ended the conversation by making it clear that the journey would have been possible without the support and help of his wife.

"My wife has been with me since the beginning and never stopped being great," he said. "She's one of the people that never let me give up on this when things got tough."