Forecast sunny for this food truck

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This article was published 14/06/2023 (884 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stephen Kang is betting his new business on the power of the sun.

The recent Canadian Mennonite University graduate and former food manager at Oak Table, an Osborne Village social service agency, is in the process of building what is likely Winnipeg’s first solar-powered food truck.

“I really wanted to (start) a business that encapsulates my values and my beliefs, so bringing together my passion for food and the environment, but also for working with people,” he says.

The first-time entrepreneur came up with the idea for Prairie Solar Cafe as an avid food truck connoisseur himself. He often attended events such as ManyFest, where dozens of mobile restaurants gather along Memorial Boulevard to duke it out in a friendly food competition each fall.

While it was exciting to try so many different cuisines in one place, Kang noticed a less appetizing aspect of the event: a mass of gas generators rumbling throughout the lineup of trucks.

“For myself, I’m a bit sensitive to noise. Reducing the noise we generate and how it affects other people is important to me,” he says.

Gas generators, which are commonly used to power the appliances onboard food trucks while parked, are also a costly business expense. By spending more upfront on solar panels, Kang expects to reduce his operating costs in the long term.

He’s currently in the process of retrofitting a former ice cream trailer and expects to get Prairie Solar Cafe rolling by the end of the summer. In the future, he hopes to make the business completely emission-free by purchasing an electric tow vehicle.

With a weather-dependent energy source, Kang needs to consider electrical consumption within his kitchen as well as the availability of sunshine at potential parking locations.

“Broadway is a pretty typical spot, but it’s a bit more shaded than I can run from my panels. I’m hoping for a permanent spot in a bit more of an open place close to downtown, otherwise, I’ll be at farmers markets about the city on weekends,” he says.

On Saturday, he’s hosting a fundraising soft launch at Bord-Aire Community Club, where visitors can check out the truck and sample the menu. Kang has opted to focus on fancy paninis — prototypes include prosciutto, green apple and havarti, as well as Korean bulgogi and kimchi — and specialty café beverages. He’s also teamed up with Wolseley Kombucha and will be offering growler refills from the truck when it’s up and running.

Saturday’s event will include food and drink samples from Prairie Solar, a prize draw and a market featuring a few of the truck’s suppliers, including Wolseley Kombucha and Juliebug’s Bath and Brine.

A social sciences graduate, Kang left his position at Oak Table to launch Prairie Solar. He’s hoping to fold some of his experiences at the charitable organization into his new business model — creating a food truck that’s both environmentally and socially sustainable.

“The end goal of my business is to create a social-enterprise model that will eventually generate enough funds to funnel back into the community that I supported when I was working at the charity,” he says. “My idea is to create a mobile unit of sorts to distribute things like food and potentially harm-reduction supplies and to partner with community organizations that offer resources out on the street.”

For updates, follow Prairie Solar Cafe on Facebook and Instagram (@prairiesolarcafe).

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @evawasney