The Start of It All

Finger Lakes Hots began with a kid in the Bronx and a hot dog cart. Growing up, founder Orlando Crespo loved stopping for a hot dog on his walk home from school and he was fascinated by the man behind the cart, whose stand stayed busy even in the dead of winter. That memory never left him. In 2018, years later, Orlando took a chance and bought a hot dog cart of his own. He finally got to feel what that vendor in the Bronx felt every day… and it was amazing.
 

A Fusion of Cultures

Orlando's wife, Aurora, is filipina and grew up in the Philippines learning to cook the dishes of her homeland. By the time she and Orlando met in 2010, she had mastered Filipino cuisine and she spoiled him with all of it. That food changed everything.

"On the Flip Side" is the truck's Filipino menu — Aurora's heritage, served right alongside Rochester's classics. Her support and encouragement are the reason Finger Lakes Hots exists, and every pan of adobo carries a little of that story with it.
 

The Expansion- 2020

Inspired by Aurora to take the dream further, Orlando bought an old camper from the 1980s, gutted it, and slowly transformed it into the food truck you see today, complete with a full kitchen.
 

In 2021, the family grew the business again, opening a private café serving the Rochester Psychiatric Center community.
 

The Next Generation-2024

Today, Finger Lakes Hots is proudly carried forward by Cristina Crespo, who has taken on the family tradition as co-owner beside her father. What started as one man's memory of a Bronx hot dog cart is now a true family legacy and Cristina is steering it into its most exciting chapter yet, with the same heart, hustle, and flavor that built it.
 

Big News: We're Putting Down Roots -2026

The truck isn't slowing down but it's getting a home base. A Finger Lakes Hots brick-and-mortar location is coming soon to Macedon! Same Rochester classics, same Filipino favorites, now with a permanent spot to gather. Keep an eye on our Coming Soon page for updates — you'll be the first to know.

See You on the flip side!

The Crespo family would love your feedback — what you love from the truck, or what they can do even better. Thank you for stopping by to learn a little more about the family behind the flip side. See you soon on the road and soon, in Macedon!