Mya Cowell smiles from the window of her tenderloin-trailer. With her trailer parked for the winter, you can find Mya inside the Pump for the winter. PHOTO PROVIDED

After a strong first season serving Tama-Toledo from her food trailer, Mya Cowell of Clare’s Tenderloins by Mya is keeping the momentum going through the winter months — this time from inside The Pump in Tama.

Mya, who grew up working on her grandpa Clare’s original food trailer in Marshalltown, launched her own Tama-based trailer earlier this year. Opening a trailer at age 22 was a huge leap, but one eased by years of experience and unwavering community support.

“I’ve been working for my grandpa for eight years, and I’ve always loved cooking,” she said. “Tama has been so supportive. I wanted to find a way to keep serving people here even when the cold arrived.”

When temperatures dropped and the uninsulated trailer became impractical, Mya reached out to The Pump to ask whether using their kitchen during evening hours might be possible. The partnership fell into place quickly, giving her a reliable winter home and eliminating risks such as frozen pipes – or, as she joked in a Facebook post, “a frozen Mya.”

Inside The Pump, Mya is rolling out a new expanded menu and a full slate of weekly specials.

Thursday-Saturday, with both dine-in and pick-up options available. Orders can be placed by calling 641-481-6177 during business hours. Hours are 4-8pm on Thursday through Saturday, with additional hours of 10pm-2am on Friday and Saturday.

Mya continues to credit her success to the people who helped make this dream possible — her fiancé who handles repairs and behind-the-scenes work, her in-laws who jump in whenever needed, siblings who grew up in the food-truck world alongside her, and friends who stop by even on slow days.

At the heart of it all remains her grandpa Clare, who started the business a decade ago.

“He took a chance trusting me with a second trailer,” she said. “I’m thankful every day.”

With a winter home secured, an updated menu, Mya is ready for the next chapter — warm kitchen included.