Growing up with two parents who worked full-time schedules, Alex Hodgkinson always found himself experimenting in the kitchen.

As he grew older, that experimentation led Hodgkinson to discover a passion for cooking, a passion that he always wanted to translate into something tangible — a food cart.

Hodgkinson, a junior and reserve kicker on the Syracuse University football team, achieved that goal about three weeks ago when his very own food cart, Pinocchio’s Pushcart, opened up right on the SU campus.

“I always loved the idea of small food options you see on the side of the street and it’s just a quick bite to eat,” Hodgkinson said. “Especially nowadays where a lot of kids and people don’t have the time and don’t make the time to eat.”

Originally from London, Hodgkinson uses his food cart to reflect his own identity.

“I’m half American and half English so it would be British Sausages and American hot dogs,” Hodgkinson said. “It’s kind of a reflection of who I am and where I come from.”

Hodgkinson is anything but a normal student. For the London native, majoring in classical civilizations with a double minor in marketing and architecture, owning his own business and playing Division I football always keeps his schedule packed, which is what he wants.

In that regard, Hodgkinson said he takes after his mother by taking on a lot.

“He is determined and willing to put the time into making things happen,” his mother, Cathy Hodgkinson, said in an email. “He might have my gene for this, but really he has developed all of his mental and physical skills himself.”

And Hodgkinson has made a lot of things happen. When he first came to campus one of his biggest goals was to walk on to the football team. Hodgkinson played rugby his entire life. When he arrived at SU he decided to pursue kicking as well as play on the SU Hammerheads club rugby team to stay fit.

By the end of his freshman year, Hodgkinson was given the chance to kick for some of the coaches on the football team and was able to walk on to the team. His first game took place in 2013 against Wake Forest, and although he didn’t get on the field, he said running out of the gates with his teammates was a great experience.

Forrester Pickett, Hodgkinson’s former roommate, said Hodgkinson is always making new plans, and unlike many people, he always puts in the effort to see them come to fruition.

“People think he’s just talking, but he always follows through on what he says he’s going to do, that kind of just goes for everything he says,” Pickett said. “Everything from walking on to the football team to what he’s doing in advertising and with the food cart now. He’s just making movements.”

Pickett said Hodgkinson had been talking to him about starting a food cart since they were freshmen, and that everything he does is close to his heart.

Hodgkinson’s teammates also recognize how important his ideas are to him. Ryan Norton, a fellow kicker on the football team, said Hodgkinson often talks about his food cart at practice and in the locker room.

“He’s loving it. He’s definitely got his heart in it and still obviously focuses on football,” Norton said. “It’s hard to balance both, but he’s a hard-working kid and he can do both.”

As for Pinocchio’s Pushcart, Hodgkinson is excited to keep the ball rolling. The food cart is located right at the top of Walnut Park across the street from Bird Library, which gives the business a lot of foot-traffic, Hodgkinson said.

“We kind of give off a quite cool vibe,” Hodgkinson said. “During the summer I was out there kind of doing some dancing just for fun. So it’s not only the food, people come to hang out in front of it.”

Hodgkinson can once again experiment in the kitchen because all of the cooking at Pinocchio’s is done on site. He said he uses hot dogs to explore more complex cuisines for his menu.

Just this week the cart debuted its Chilean dog, a hot dog topped with caramelized onions, guacamole and chunky salsa.

“I’m taking the traditional American dog and adding an international twist to it to keep it exciting,” Hodgkinson said.

Going forward, Hodgkinson’s main focus with Pinocchio’s is making it a more consistent operation. Hodgkinson said he wants the cart top be open everyday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., so students can grab a bite as they go to class or just take a study break hanging out in front of the cart.

Hodgkinson even said he is thinking about opening the cart for late nights on Thursdays and Saturdays for the crowd returning home after a night out on Marshall Street.

He is also coming up with ideas to adapt the business to Syracuse’s harsh winters.

“During the winter we might have a heater there so people can drink hot chocolate, coffee, hot apple cider and kind of huddle around there,” Hodgkinson said. “So it’s kind of a social thing. Obviously there’s no better thing that goes with socializing than food.”

Although the future for Pinocchio’s is uncertain, what is certain is that Hodgkinson has already accomplished many of his goals during his time at SU and won’t stop anytime soon.

“In America, I’m out of my comfort zone, so I have this sort of this innate energy,” Hodgkinson said. “I know it sounds cliché but it just comes out from me. And whereas back in London I may be relaxing more, here I’m kind of always on the go and I don’t seem to burn out because I just have this kind of fire in me.”

Published on September 18, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Brendan: bskrisel@syr.edu