Kosta Callis has been spinning her wheels for nearly a yr making an attempt to get her meals truck enterprise off the bottom, and now that she has, she remains to be on the lookout for some path.
Callis is the proprietor of the Auburn Cafe in Ecorse.
That brick and mortar enterprise has been established locally for greater than 40 years.
Callis noticed the necessity, realized there was pleasure for a meals truck within the space, after which put the wheels in movement to make it occur.
Discovered and bought a truck in Could 2020 and acquired it in August.
In line with Callis, it was imagined to be delivered turnkey, however that did not precisely occur.
There have been spec points associated to the recent water tank and different plumbing points that wanted to be adjusted.
Since there aren’t many locations that manufacture meals truck elements, they needed to be ordered after which shipped, which took an extra six to eight weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After months of labor on the truck, it lastly handed the inspection after the Christmas holidays.
“This has been an enormous studying curve for me,” Callis mentioned. I knew there have been many restrictions on working a meals truck on public property, however there are numerous restrictions on private and non-private property. “
The approval system differs from metropolis to metropolis.
Some communities require a avenue vendor license for the one that works the window.
A registration course of and zoning points should even be thought of.
“You may’t simply decide a location and introduce your self,” Callis mentioned.
Regardless of Downriver’s space being underserved and demand is on the restaurant’s candy spot, the proprietor mentioned getting the inexperienced gentle for the truck to function in some communities has been more difficult than anticipated.
Nevertheless, Callis mentioned individuals are nonetheless on the lookout for that well-known Auburn Cafe signature number of genuine Greek delicacies within the truck.
The lunch and dinner menu has been shortened a bit as there isn’t a house to retailer and refrigerate all of the meals for your whole dishes.
If the truck’s favorites mirror common restaurant orders, Callis anticipates that the hen salad and Gyro dishes will probably be widespread orders.
“We will take a handful of common objects and supply them,” Callis mentioned.
Some potential clients are pissed off that they can not simply name and have the meals truck present up after they ask for it.
He mentioned it definitely does not work that approach.
An announcement in regards to the inspection of the brand new meals truck was made on the restaurant’s social media web page.
A whole bunch of individuals congratulated the restaurant on becoming a member of the enterprise.
A fan of the restaurant warned Callis to be prepared to purchase a second truck to satisfy buyer calls for.
Folks from varied communities together with Allen Park, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile and Trenton are already asking Callis to make an appointment to come back to their cities.
To this point, they’ve three commitments for this month, however they’re additionally receiving requests for places exterior of the Downriver space.
That’s not the path you wish to take proper now.
“I wish to deal with the Downriver space,” Callis mentioned.
A technique or one other, you plan to capitalize on the joy right here and can do what you’ll be able to to order a location.
“It has been tough, however we are going to resolve it,” he mentioned.
