Steven Conaway sells freshly roasted peanuts and healthy snack nuts from right out of his truck.
By Megan Reed
Steven Conaway’s peanut truck is very recognizable along Crenshaw Boulevard. He sets up just south of Coliseum Street, right in front of Copy City on the east side of the street.
Conaway’s speciality is freshly roasted peanuts right out of the oven, which are pretty amazing, and its hard to stop eating this healthy snack.
“I roast peanuts fresh everyday,” he said. “You can’t get them fresher than this. And they’re hot! It’s the best peanuts in the world.”
Conaway also sells almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, peanut brittle, butter toffee, kettle corn, trail mix, and pumpkin seeds. The advantage of purchasing from him is that the quality and freshness of his snack nuts are better.
“These are fresh and hot,” he said. “The peanuts that you buy in the store were roasted over a month ago. These here are fresh and they taste better.”
Many studies have shown that snack nuts provide various health benefits, especially in regards to reducing heart disease. Most of the fat in nuts are monounsaturated fat, as well as omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fat, which are healthy. Nuts also pack a number of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and vitamin E.
Many cars drive right up to Conaway’s truck. For his repeat customers, they don’t even have to get out of their car because he knows what they’re looking for. And he picked the right spot when he set up on Crenshaw Boulevard ten years ago so that he’s visible and his customers can easily find him.
“I didn’t want to be in a different place everyday,” he said. “I wanted people to see me.”
Conaway started selling snack nuts after he graduated from the California State University, Long Beach in 1980. He received a degree in public relations, and he became a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., while there. His first job out of college was at the Long Beach Press-Telegram. His boss owned a peanut truck as a side business, and hired Conaway to help out on weekends. Some time later Conaway decided to go into business for himself, and he purchased his own peanut truck and roaster.
Conaway is in his normal spot everyday except for Sundays and rainy days. Find him on Facebook.
