If you follow this blog, then you’ll know I’ve covered (Louisville’s) Morels (Vegan) Food Truck quite extensively. TNTSU was a backer, and we’ve promoted the shit out of the Kickstarter project. Louisville said “yes” to the idea and within two months Stanley Chase III has raised over $13,000 to start his dream: an all-vegan food truck in Louisville branded with the name of his favorite mushroom, the Morels. I’ve had the food countless times since then and it’s been delicious every time. Banh-Mi Hot Dogs, “Chicken” Salad Sliders, Kim Chi Brats, “Beefy” Queso Nachos, and other various sides. It’s gourmet stuff, served out of a heartwarming brown truck with a painted character yelling “vegan” on the side.
He’s been on all the news stations, and how sells his wraps (soon to be three different varieties, including a gluten-free version) at Rainbow Blossom and Heine Brothers around the city. Along with Lil’ Cheezers, Stanley and Morels started what could only be called Louisville’s Food Truck Revolution, as we now have a total of seven active food trucks in Louisville. Best of all, Stanley is promoting the plant-based diet, a truly compassionate way of eating, and changing people’s minds about tasty food – no meat or cheese is needed to have a fulfilling, inexpensive lunch or dinner. By all marks, the project has been, and continues to be a success.
But there have been many bumps along the road, most notably the lack of the truck’s presence. Largely, this is due to policies and permit regulations in the city, a city that wasn’t set-up for mobile food trucks and must also borrow state-wide laws from Frankfort for various facets. I spoke with Stanley about these concerns as he told me about the trials and tribulations of doing business as a food truck. We spoke in the din of a Heine Brothers Coffee, not far from where his wraps continue to sell out every week.
TNTSU: Tell me about this plumbing issue and how it effects your permit situation.
Stanley: Here’s the plumbing issue: you have to have a master plumber draw up a riser diagram, which is a diagram that shows how the plumbing works, drawn by hand. There has to be three inch pipes that do all the plumbing, a gas exhaust pipe that goes out the roof of the truck – they require all this stuff. This is a Frankfort law, this is state law, not a Metro Louisville law. That whole thing…it’s a $2000 job to have that done by a master plumber [where] they will install everything and write up the permit and the riser diagram. I’ve got the sinks, hot water pump – you can wash your hands, it’s beautiful – it all works in [my truck].
Here’s the thing: nobody does their dishes in the truck, you take ‘em back to your commisary to do them because you have waste tanks under the truck – you’re not gonna put food in there [because] it’s not gonna come out. You’re not gonna wash your dishes in there – it’s all for decoration. The four sinks [that state law requires]…it’s hilarious. Even the health department knows this. It’s all show. Nobody washes their dishes in truck [as] you can’t put food in there [the waste tank], you can’t put oil in there – it’s just water.
This whole $2000 thing that they need to give me my annual permit – it’s the only thing holding me back from my annual permit – is a joke. The annual permit would [mean] I wouldn’t have to go down and get a permit every time I want to go to a spot. Right now if I want to go park at Ear X-Tacy or Park Community Credit Union, I have to go get a $30 permit. The annual permit costs $120 a year – I spend that in a month.
Who would really be against food trucks? Why is it such a big deal to change the laws regarding food trucks?
Nobody. I think some people are afraid…it’s similiar to the irrational thought that if people stopped eating meat, “cows would be everywhere. We wouldn’t be able to drive our cars because cows would be everywhere!” Like, “If anybody can have a food truck, there’s gonna be thousands!”
That’s the health department. [Someone there] has said to two different people, “this food truck revolution needs to stop and you need to understand that we’re concerned about the public safety and health…”
“The food truck revolution needs to stop?”
Yeah. They’re [the health department] basically reading laws and enforcing them. The human side is non-existent. [But] the people that have come out and inspected us…nicest people in the world.
Right now, to get your food from a truck, which is what the whole thing started as – a food truck – customers have to go to a special event that costs money, or eat late at night. A lot of people with families or who live far away can’t do that. They’re not getting a chance to eat from the truck, even if the food is available at stores.
I totally get that. It’s finding a comfortable spot for everybody. Some people won’t be able to make it for lunch. That is the next direction for the truck. The bar crowds are inconsistent – lunch may be completely different.
To do it, and to see what kind of demand there is, is the only way. It goes back to what we were talking about. It’s gonna take me finding what reasonable way to add on to. I’m doing everything right now – 100%, all me. Taking on each different task is me squeezing in [something new]. And I want to! On top of it all, it’s stress management.
I’m exhausted by a lot of this stuff, and stressed out. But I’m insanely grateful for this opportunity, for this whole Kickstarter thing. I don’t want for a second for it to sound like I can’t do this because of stress levels. It is a lot, but I still feel as passionate as I did from day one.
In between bits of coffee and other various ideas, Stanley relayed to me the ridiculous part of parking – he currently has to park his truck over 30 minutes from his house, in an RV lot, which, while gated and secure, makes utilizing it a headache with gas and driving. Again, restrictions come into play about where the truck can be parked over night, as no city residential street (say, in front of apartment building) will allow it.
But things are not all doom-and-gloom. Partnering with local marketing firm Community Edge, Stanley will be introducing a really cool “golden ticket” contest with his wraps, utilizing QR codes and offering prizes from a number of local businesses. As of this writing, he is beginning to do evening spots (5-9pm instead of the 11pm-2am slot) at Ear X-Tacy and soon, other businesses. It is a struggle for all food trucks in Louisville, but I root for the Stanley the most due to his dedication to vegan foods and true love for making food for others.