David Swanson has announced the return of his food truck All American Dave, four years after it last appeared at the 2021 World Series of Poker.
The mobile restaurant, known for healthy choices in an otherwise unhealthy poker environment, has returned to Mammoth Lakes, California in the Eastern Sierra Nevada area.
But the comeback is not without controversy, as many poker players were left without compensation for unused meal plans when the business closed in 2021. Swanson took deposits from players in exchange for discounted rates on prepaid meals.
Meal plans active in California
The impending move to Horseshoe and Paris in 2022 put an end to the business, and Swanson did not have the money to refund the prepaid plans. Swanson offered credit at his impending physical location or the option to donate the balance, but neither came to fruition.
"When the food truck closed, I felt like my life was falling apart," Swanson said on X. "My dad died during the Main Event, and 6 months later I lost the business I built over 10 years, and I lost the respect of people who believed in me when I couldn't honor their meal plans. I was defeated..."
Swanson has said that all leftover meal plan balances are active again at his Mammoth Lakes location, an area known for its skiing, snowboarding, and other year-round recreation.
Players offer to donate
Several players responded to the announcement, some offering to donate their leftover funds to a good cause in the Mammoth Lakes area.
"I'd love to do that, and perhaps in the future, but we have a ways to go before we are not the ones in need." Swanson told Katie Stone. "My 3 kids, my wife, and I are all living in an RV park while we attempt to make this concept come back to life."
"I'm already setting up with teaching kids about nutrition," he told Dietrich Fast. "But I'm battling back from nothing with nothing and have a ways to go before I have the ability to make that a reality. Dream in the future, yes, reality now is I just need to get back on my feet serving one meal at a time."
Other players offered congratulations and good luck, while some remained critical of Swanson's abrupt exit.
Image courtesy of All American Dave.
