What started as a food truck in Fort McMurray, is turning into Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 newest brewery.
Back in 2015, Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 Liam Mitchell was working on a construction site in Fort McMurray, where a women named Crystal Cain, who was also just working in the town at the time, was running a food truck called 91裸聊视频楾he Grub Wagon91裸聊视频�. The two met, got married, bought the food truck for themselves and moved to Mitchell91裸聊视频檚 Kelowna home while continuing to operate the food truck. 91裸聊视频楾he Wagon91裸聊视频� has been a staple at the Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 Farmers Market since 2018.
On top of the food truck, Mitchell operates his own plumbing company in Kelowna but since the start of 2022, they91裸聊视频檝e had the idea to expand and pursue their dream into opening a brewery.
91裸聊视频淲e were having to divide my time between helping operate the food truck business and my plumbing company and I was sort of falling out of love with plumbing,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell. 91裸聊视频淚 needed to start to think about a decision to make a career shift.91裸聊视频�
Mitchell started looking at commercial real estate in Kelowna in Jan. 2022 for a place where he could have a kitchen with a small area to use as plumbing shop as well. After looking for more than six months, he had trouble finding a place because of bigger companies buying properties with knock-down clauses because they plan on building apartment buildings in the future.
91裸聊视频淥nce I saw the writing on the wall, I realized it wasn91裸聊视频檛 going to be as easy as I thought to just jump in,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell. 91裸聊视频淚 already made the decision that something was going to happen, and I kind of always had the idea that someday, maybe, I would turn the space into a brewery. I91裸聊视频檝e been home brewing for a couple years now and it91裸聊视频檚 one of those things where I wanted to pursue my dream job.91裸聊视频�
He ultimately decided to leave the plumbing shop area of the space behind and look for a place to build a brewery. The idea of having everyone all together in one direction was important to the family as well, instead of running between his plumbing company and the food truck.
In August, they were able to lock down their location at 105-1111 Gordon Drive. 91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频淚t was a shoebox with a bathroom in it,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell.
The space helps extend Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 brewery district further east as it91裸聊视频檚 down the road from Railside Brewing, which opened last August.
91裸聊视频淚 think we91裸聊视频檙e pretty fortuitous that Railside opened up before us because it91裸聊视频檚 always good to have brewery neighbours,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell. 91裸聊视频淲e have good neighbours right in our building.91裸聊视频�
Around the same time, one of the other units in the building was leased to become a plant store, which opened recently. The area is growing, as Mitchell told Capital News a tattoo shop is also opening beside the brewery.
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While in the process of finding a place, they had the food truck open throughout the summer, which is entirely vegetarian and vegan, something they plan on keeping at the brewery.
91裸聊视频淭he Wagon is [vegan and vegetarian] so we91裸聊视频檇 be foolish to abandon the following that we91裸聊视频檝e amassed with the food truck,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell. 91裸聊视频淭o my knowledge, I91裸聊视频檝e been to a lot of breweries in the province but haven91裸聊视频檛 been to one that91裸聊视频檚 vegan or vegetarian, there91裸聊视频檚 definitely a nich茅 market there.91裸聊视频�
Mitchell and Cain eat mostly plant-based foods and live by the mantra 91裸聊视频榚at more plants91裸聊视频�.
As for a name, 91裸聊视频楾he Wagon91裸聊视频� name won91裸聊视频檛 continue. The brewery will be named Buffalo Rouge Brewing, and there91裸聊视频檚 a couple reasons behind it.
Something Mitchell and Cain have adopted in their life is the buffalo because they met in Fort McMurray, which is known as the municipality of the Wood Buffalo. Because of that, they buy each other buffalo-related gifts and art and even each have a buffalo tattoo. Then one day, one of Cain91裸聊视频檚 friends called Mitchell 91裸聊视频楶apa Rouge91裸聊视频� because of his red hair. His plumbing company was also called 91裸聊视频楻ed Giant Mechanical91裸聊视频�.
91裸聊视频淲e just sort of merged the two together,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell. 91裸聊视频淥ver the years of talking about a name, we decided that91裸聊视频檚 what it91裸聊视频檚 going to be. It stuck and it had a nice ring to it.91裸聊视频�
The couple91裸聊视频檚 goal is to have the brewery open in the spring. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e going to keep the pedal to the medal here,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell.
Mitchell has been homebrewing for a couple years and plans on having a little bit of everything at the establishment.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e planning on having a bit of a mix of traditional craft beer offerings as well as experimental and seasonal beers that we91裸聊视频檒l rotate,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell, who loves making hazy IPA beers the most. 91裸聊视频淚 like making beers for occasions. The seasonality of brewing is important. If there91裸聊视频檚 something big or important in our lives or coming up for the brewery or the city, we91裸聊视频檒l have specific beers for those purposes.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e trying to live our family mom-and-pop shop fantasy,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell. 91裸聊视频淚t seems like the universe wants this to happen. It91裸聊视频檚 nice to set down roots here.91裸聊视频�
READ MORE: Lower Mainland brewery expanding to Lake Country
jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
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