If you’ve spent any time around Oxford’s restaurant scene in the last two decades, chances are you’ve tasted something touched by the hands of Nic Swogger.

Now, the seasoned chef—formerly of City Grocery, Snackbar, and Pearl Street Pasta—is trading in white tablecloths for takeout windows with the launch of The Lunch Box, a fresh new food truck rolling out in and around Oxford this spring.

Rooted in deep culinary experience and a genuine love for Southern flavors with a global twist, The Lunch Box is Swogger’s next big adventure, and it’s been simmering on the back burner for a while. 

“I always planned to be working for myself by the time I turned 40,” Swogger said. “And this just felt like the right way to do it—more freedom, lower overhead and a chance to really have fun with food again.”

The core of The Lunch Box menu will be fried chicken done three ways – classic, spicy and an extra-hot Nashville style. Fried catfish po’boys, a vegan-friendly fried mushroom sandwich, and hearty Southern sides like mac and cheese and green beans round out a lineup designed for craveable, comforting lunch runs. There’s even talk of smashburgers and bright, fresh salads for a little balance.

“It’s all lunch-focused, just good, solid food,” Swogger said. “But my catering menu will be a little more involved.” 

Swogger’s ACE Catering (short for All Catering Events) will offer full-service catering packages, including tailgate spreads for Grove-goers during football season.

Having cooked in kitchens from Boston to Mississippi, he’s made Oxford home. 

He’s planning on taking his food truck around Oxford and finding parking spots at places like the Old Armory Pavilion, and he’s got his eye on campus locations and even Water Valley for regular stops. 

“I’d love to do some music festivals too,” he said.

 Having spent part of his childhood in Okinawa, Japan, he brings subtle notes of Asian influence to his Southern dishes.

“It’s kind of my style—Southern with a pan-Asian twist. I like using local, seasonal ingredients but doing something a little unexpected with them.”

With his wife Stephanie and their young son Oscar cheering him on, and a wealth of Oxford restaurant history behind him, Swogger’s The Lunch Box is more than just a food truck—it’s a movable feast of experience, passion, and down-home flavor.