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Monday, June 17, 2013
The University Daily Kansan
LAWRENCE
Co-op food truck serves organic, vegan menu
EMMA LEGAULT
elegault@kansan.com
What has savory breakfast tacos, hearty breakfast burritos and four wheels?
The Blissful Bite food truck does, and it is slowly but surely making a name for itself in the community.
Until the fall of 2012, Anil Kamat, who built the truck, was handling everything on his own. When the delicate balancing act of time management and business responsibilities started to topple and he decided to move to California, one of his employees, Jason Hering, stepped in.
organic, gluten-free and vegan breakfast burritos, tacos and mini pancakes are favorites among the Saturday morning crowd.
He and five others that shared a dream of creating a co-operative business venture connected with Anil, and the truck was gifted to them through a collective ownership.
The co-op is dedicated to incorporating Kamat's original vision of providing healthy, delicious food with their vision of a successful, collectively owned business. Together, the six handle every aspect of the business, from accounting to inventory, and each person has a voice.
"It's miraculous that it came into our hands the way it did," said Tristan Landwehr, member of the Blissful Bite co-op.
Although it's a mobile operation, the truck has a stronghold at the Farmer's Market at Eighth and New Hampshire streets. Their selection of
"That changes the dynamic entirely of how much control you have over something and what kind of influence you have," Hering said.
ERIN BREMER/KANSAN
The co-op and the truck's success are built by balancing trust, communication and learning. It's not always easy; after all, this isn't a group of seasoned food truck professionals.
England Porter and Madeline Reed, both University graduates, work together at the Blissful Bite food truck on Thursday at Cotton's Hardware Farmers Market.
Landwehr, who has wanted to be an entrepreneur since childhood, said the co-op is an ideal blend of being in charge and sharing the workload. He's a part of all of the processes and not restricted to the kitchen.
"I get to have a say in a lot of different aspects, but I also get to share the responsibility while getting to have responsibility," he said.
When asked what the food truck has taught him, plumbing and electrical systems were first to come to mind.
"It was kind of a big jump for all of us to start a business together and start taking care of all of the operations," Landwehr said. "It's a big learning process."
"It's a team-building exercise in and of itself." Hering said.
The Blissful Bite isn't permitted to set up downtown due to city regulations, but as a member of the county Food Policy Council and by working with other officials, Herring hopes to change that soon.
In the future, Hering sees the truck having regular lunch spots at larger institutions, such as hospitals or schools, to give dull cafeteria food or fatty vending machine lunches a run for their money.
He also hopes to be at 11th and Massachusetts streets a couple days a week.
In addition to prepping and laying out logistics for each event, the co-op explores new recipes and menu
options. Hering said they're trying to "branch out" from the comfort of their Farmer's Market breakfast menu.
One of Landweir's favorites to make is the "Hassome Avocado," which is a melt-in-your mouth avocado half with a sweet relish of beet, lime juice, and tamarind, garnished with sesame seeds and an amino acid blend. Hering likes their new kale chips and the hearty, refreshing "Haymaker's Punch."
The produce used is organic and some comes from the Willing Horse Farm, a local horse-powered farm the
group co-manages.
"Just to be able to have organic produce and really delicious, healthy options is something that's important to show that vegetarian food doesn't have to be an iceberg lettuce salad," Hering said.
It's all about a greater awareness and appreciation for foods people wouldn't normally put on their plates.
"We make it in a different way to make it really tasty and appealing and then hopefully that brings that into their food recognition," Hering said.