Lauryn Dunklau has run a service station in Carroll, Nebraska since 2021, serving up tasty meals from her food truck for everyone who stops by. She shares insights into the positive impacts Ørsted and its employees have had to her business and her town.

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I’ve been living in Carroll since I married my husband, who is from here. It’s a small town, quiet, with lots of wonderful people. We bought a gas station in 2021, and ever since, I’ve been running it. My husband helps me out at night, and my mother-in-law works with me during the day.

We added a food truck and a bar because we wanted to give people here a place to come together. So, whether they’re staying for 3 minutes or for 30, or if they come to watch a college football game on Saturday, they’re always welcome here.

Food service is in my blood, really. My parents owned an ice cream shop when I was little, and I think that’s when I first got the bug for owning my own place. I love cooking up burgers, fries, chicken strips—comfort food that people here love. I think everyone’s favorite, though, is my Philly cheesesteaks.

It wasn’t long after we took over the gas station that the Ørsted guys started coming in. First, it was for fuel, but they saw we cook up hot food, so now they come in for breakfast, lunch, supper. I call them “the tower guys,” and I definitely see them as part of our community. They come from big cities, and I kind of try and show them what small-town America is like. So, whether I’m making up soup for them in the wintertime, or just giving them a spot to hang out for a while, I just love having them around.

My business is growing, too, because of them. My next project is to build out a full kitchen at the gas station, so I can do even more than I’m doing right now with the food truck. The constant business from the tower guys is helping me reach toward my goals.

And Ørsted’s been good for the general community, too. They donated to our volunteer fire department, and to our local fair. And they helped get some new play equipment at our park. Our town is growing, and thanks to the business that Ørsted brings to us, more families are moving here. My hope for the future is that Carroll continues to grow, so that more people can discover what a great community we have here.