[the food trucks are] a cost-effective way to get my brand out to a larger audience and also give myself a lot of flexibility,” Cutler said.

Cutler and his Family Dog crew have been dishing out its menu of gourmet burgers and hot dogs to UMaine students as well as area locals since late 2012 in Orono. In roughly two years since its opening, the restaurant has grown rapidly in both its menu and physical size. With the addition of an ice cream bar in its first year of operation, the addition of a Sunday brunch last year, and an expansive deck added this summer to offer 36 additional seasonal seats, the new food trucks are part of a long line of plans Cutler has been mapping out for The Family Dog since he opened for business.

To expand upon the original family dog menu and appeal to a larger audience, the two trucks will serve different menus. One truck, The Stray Dog, will stick closer to The Family Dog’s menu of burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and fries. The second truck, Grammy’s Grilled Cheeses and Melts, will serve traditional and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

“The reason for two trucks is historically, trucks work better in pairs. It also diversifies your audience,” Cutler said. “We have definitely done a lot of different things, so this is just another adventure.”

Starting next week, with The Stray Dog’s take on a pulled pork sandwich, The Family Dog will be offering weekly specials that will serve as try-outs for menu items that will be offered by the trucks.

The trucks will open on a limited schedule in April and will be up and running full time for early May. The trucks will be stationed in the Kmart parking lot on Bangor’s Hogan Road for lunchtime hours. Cutler is working on a few different ideas for dinner placement of the trucks, including the possibility of offering a dinner service at The Grove and Orchard Trails apartment complexes in Orono.

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