What started as a food truck in Fort McMurray, is turning into Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 newest brewery.
Back in 2015, Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播楾he Grub Wagon香蕉视频直播�. The two met, got married, bought the food truck for themselves and moved to Mitchell香蕉视频直播檚 Kelowna home while continuing to operate the food truck. 香蕉视频直播楾he Wagon香蕉视频直播� has been a staple at the Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Farmers Market since 2018.
On top of the food truck, Mitchell operates his own plumbing company in Kelowna but since the start of 2022, they香蕉视频直播檝e had the idea to expand and pursue their dream into opening a brewery.
香蕉视频直播淲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,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell. 香蕉视频直播淚 needed to start to think about a decision to make a career shift.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淥nce I saw the writing on the wall, I realized it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 going to be as easy as I thought to just jump in,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell. 香蕉视频直播淚 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. I香蕉视频直播檝e been home brewing for a couple years now and it香蕉视频直播檚 one of those things where I wanted to pursue my dream job.香蕉视频直播�
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. 香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈It was a shoebox with a bathroom in it,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell.
The space helps extend Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 brewery district further east as it香蕉视频直播檚 down the road from Railside Brewing, which opened last August.
香蕉视频直播淚 think we香蕉视频直播檙e pretty fortuitous that Railside opened up before us because it香蕉视频直播檚 always good to have brewery neighbours,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell. 香蕉视频直播淲e have good neighbours right in our building.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淭he Wagon is [vegan and vegetarian] so we香蕉视频直播檇 be foolish to abandon the following that we香蕉视频直播檝e amassed with the food truck,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell. 香蕉视频直播淭o my knowledge, I香蕉视频直播檝e been to a lot of breweries in the province but haven香蕉视频直播檛 been to one that香蕉视频直播檚 vegan or vegetarian, there香蕉视频直播檚 definitely a nich茅 market there.香蕉视频直播�
Mitchell and Cain eat mostly plant-based foods and live by the mantra 香蕉视频直播榚at more plants香蕉视频直播�.
As for a name, 香蕉视频直播楾he Wagon香蕉视频直播� name won香蕉视频直播檛 continue. The brewery will be named Buffalo Rouge Brewing, and there香蕉视频直播檚 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 Cain香蕉视频直播檚 friends called Mitchell 香蕉视频直播楶apa Rouge香蕉视频直播� because of his red hair. His plumbing company was also called 香蕉视频直播楻ed Giant Mechanical香蕉视频直播�.
香蕉视频直播淲e just sort of merged the two together,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell. 香蕉视频直播淥ver the years of talking about a name, we decided that香蕉视频直播檚 what it香蕉视频直播檚 going to be. It stuck and it had a nice ring to it.香蕉视频直播�
The couple香蕉视频直播檚 goal is to have the brewery open in the spring. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e going to keep the pedal to the medal here,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell.
Mitchell has been homebrewing for a couple years and plans on having a little bit of everything at the establishment.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e planning on having a bit of a mix of traditional craft beer offerings as well as experimental and seasonal beers that we香蕉视频直播檒l rotate,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell, who loves making hazy IPA beers the most. 香蕉视频直播淚 like making beers for occasions. The seasonality of brewing is important. If there香蕉视频直播檚 something big or important in our lives or coming up for the brewery or the city, we香蕉视频直播檒l have specific beers for those purposes.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e trying to live our family mom-and-pop shop fantasy,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell. 香蕉视频直播淚t seems like the universe wants this to happen. It香蕉视频直播檚 nice to set down roots here.香蕉视频直播�
READ MORE: Lower Mainland brewery expanding to Lake Country
jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
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