If ice-cream and burgers could be sold out of a food truck, clothing and shoes can too! Think: a clothing boutique on wheels. 

Hello Ruby, Omaha’s first fashion truck, is a mobile boutique that travels to many locations across town selling a variety of trendy women’s fashion that range from clothing to shoes and jewelry. 

The big, white vehicle is as large as a mail delivery truck and hard to miss. Customers can board the back of the truck and shop from racks and shelves that hold clothing and accessories. It is also equipped with its own fitting room. The inside of the truck is spacious and could fit about five to six customers. Its interior is decorated with wooden floors, white walls and shelves made from rose-gold copper pipes.

The idea to open a fashion truck in Omaha came to her while on a family vacation, said Jill Dudzinski, owner of Hello Ruby. 

“I was in [Lake Okoboji] with my family and saw a similar concept in an RV, and I was like yes I wanna do that,” said Dudzinski.

Fashion trucks are common in coastal cities where the weather is warm all year round, but that didn’t stop her from opening one in the Midwest.

After her family trip in 2016, Dudzinski began the process of opening her own mobile boutique. Three weeks after the trip, she bought a used delivery truck in Lincoln, NE that she renovated with the help of her husband. Renovations took about six months, said Dudzinski.

In April 2017, Hello Ruby launched its grand opening.

The type of commitment and costs of a brick and mortar wasn’t ideal for Dudzinski. “I have always wanted to own a boutique probably since high school. But the scariness of rent and signing a five-year lease and all of that was just a drain,” she said. 

The truck typically runs during the warmer seasons from April to October and can be found at many local events across Omaha. It is also available for private pop-up events. Ted and Wally’s is one of its usual spots in the Old Market. Hello Ruby’s diverse market and social media presence helps gain exposure for many local companies that host pop-up events for the truck. 

“I think the marketing and her writing helps us. When we share her posts, I think it drives interest both our ways,” said Joseph Pittack, owner of Ted and Wally’s. 

Hello Ruby is also a regular vendor at the Turner Park Night Market, a pop-up festival in Midtown Crossing that occurs monthly and hosts various locals, live music and entertainment.

“[Hello Ruby] is such a huge draw and I think that they are for all the events that they travel to. It’s just such a unique concept. People love them and they have such a great following,” said Kylie Vonnahme, event project manager of VGA, a marketing consultant in Omaha that coordinates the Night Market.

Hello Ruby’s weekly