Beach Bums on Otter Tail Lake adds second food truck for summer demand

Beach Bums Bar + Eatery will run two mobile food trucks after Otter Tail County commissioners approved the added unit, a move aimed at handling heavier summer traffic on the west side of Otter Tail Lake.

The Battle Lake business sits at 35776 County Highway 72, placing it squarely in the lake corridor that fills with boaters, cabin owners and day-trippers once warm weather arrives. Beach Bums has said it was established in the spring of 2015 and operates year-round as a bar and eatery on the southwest shores of Otter Tail Lake, a setup that already leans on outdoor, seasonal business.

The second truck gives Beach Bums more room to serve customers during the busiest months, when a single kitchen line can slow down people looking for a quick meal between time on the water and time along the shoreline. The added mobile unit is expected to help the restaurant reach boat-in traffic, lake visitors and local residents without forcing them into long waits at the counter.

That matters in a county where summer drives much of the lakeshore economy. Otter Tail County says May marks a return to the lakes for fishing, camping, resort stays and road trips through lakes country, the kind of seasonal shift that can quickly turn a steady business into a crowded one. More serving capacity at Beach Bums means more chances to capture that spending while visitors are already in the area and moving from one stop to the next.

Beach Bums’ public listings describe the business as a year-round beach bar on the southwest side of Ottertail Lake, with customers arriving by boat, car or foot. Those same listings point to live music, signature coastal food and weekly specials, details that fit a business built to serve both repeat local customers and the summer crowd that swells around the lake.

On the west side of Otter Tail Lake, the second truck changes more than the restaurant’s footprint. It gives a lakeside business a better shot at keeping pace with peak-season demand, shortening waits and widening the number of people it can serve when summer spending is at its highest.