When 19-year-old Edward Daniel saw there was a need for more food options in Tigerland, he took a leap of faith and opened the food truck SneauxChicken.
The truck, located outside of The House bar, offers late-night favorites such as fried chicken tenders, French fries and boudin balls. SneauxChicken is currently open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and occasionally caters school events.
Daniel said he saw limited Tigerland food options, except for a nacho truck, but the product was very expensive. He said the demand for a better late-night food option was there, so he decided to take the responsibility into his own hands with the opening of SneauxChicken.
Daniel said the food truck started as an idea in January or February 2015 and was eventually funded with the help of friends and young business-people in the community. This was what made the business a reality after giving funders equity in the company.
When SneauxChicken opened in April 2015, Daniel said it quickly became a staple in the late-night scene, serving fried food to the often liquor-filled customers.
But, witnessing the fun of Tigerland doesn’t come without the dangerous underbelly, he said.
Daniel said he recalls two separate scary moments in Tigerland, one including a hit and run.
While Daniel said he recognizes some events as unfortunate, he said that working in Tigerland usually makes for great people-watching.
“It’s interesting. It’s fun,” manager John Fox said. “Some good nights, some nights you have to deal with fights and stuff. It’s always a good time.”
Fox said SneauxChicken has expanded the food options of bargoers since opening. The most important part of having a sustainable business model in Tigerland, Daniel said, is a good-quality product with a good price point.
He said SneauxChicken serves a variety of fried food options, giving it an edge on the competition.
Being located in the parking lot of The House bar brings a lot of business to the food truck because of the active business the bar also receives, Daniel said.
After events, customers make their way to Tigerland to celebrate, and SneauxChicken is there to serve the after-party meal. The first LSU football game of the 2015 season against McNeese State University was SneauxChicken’s busiest night, with this year’s fraternity boys’ bid night coming in second, Daniel said.
He said although those nights were busy, SneauxChicken is equipped to serve a high volume of people, like after gamedays or Greek events.
His advice for those starting businesses is to learn everything about the field and expect to fix the problems along the way. While Daniel said he recognizes being a young business owner is fun, he doesn’t have the luxury of having the experience of his competition.
“No matter how much you plan or research or think you know, you can’t even come close to having the real-time experience that your competitors probably have,” Daniel said.

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Emily Brauner

Located outside of Tigerland, foodtruck Sneaux Chicken sells fried food to passerbys.