Nomad Gourmet

[Keggermeister]

Had tacos (2 brisket and one pork) and Mexican rice today. YUM!

[mr x]

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1 ... w-potholes" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Gourmet food trucks hit bylaw potholes

Operators seek extended hours and more locations

Business is good for gourmet food truck operator Nick Horne — when he’s allowed to operate.

“I’ve made quite an investment and I would like to begin serving healthy breakfasts and perhaps move to other locations at different times of the day, but city bylaws do not allow that,” Horne said Thursday.

Horne’s colourful food truck, emblazoned with his Nomad Gourmet business name, has been conducting business in Halifax’s downtown for the past couple of weeks. He is mostly serving the lunchtime crowd with gourmet treats downtown near city hall.

But existing bylaws restrict him from operating before 9 a.m. They also restrict his gourmet food truck to the same spot near the Grand Parade on Argyle Street.

“There are few spots where food trucks can operate and it would be nice to move around and try other locations,” said Horne.

He said the gourmet food trend is on fire in other Canadian cities and in the United States.

A number of other entrepreneurs are in the process of obtaining city approval to drive their mobile operations into available downtown vending spots, he said.

“Much of the lunchtime crowd doesn’t have time to visit a sit-down restaurant and these people appreciate a healthy alternative to the traditional deep-fried offering of food trucks,” said Horne.

This fledgling local industry could take root if regulations could be relaxed so new people in the business had flexibility when it came to hours of operation and locations, he said.

Bylaw changes are likely on the horizon but will take most of the winter to resolve, said Coun. Jennifer Watts (Connaught-Quinpool).

“There is an opportunity here to support entrepreneurship at this level and add some animation to the downtown street scene.”

She called for a review of bylaws governing mobile canteens and carts back in August and is expecting a response shortly from city staff.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely the applicable bylaws will be amended quickly, said Watts.

Amending them will likely involve a public consultation process with input from restaurants, traffic regulators and even police.

“This is hopefully something we’ll tackle over the winter months, with a view toward implementing some changes in time for the spring season,” she said.

Until then, Watts said the mobile entrepreneurs will have to operate within the framework of existing regulations.

[mr x]

SPURR: Nomad Gourmet a wheel lunch deal

http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1 ... lunch-deal" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[homebrewcrew]

congrats good work

[TimG]

@nomadgourmet (Jan 20/13)
Nomad regrets to announce that we will be stopping street sales until spring. We are available for catering, and may pop up anywhere!

Sorry to hear this Kegger!

[GAM]

Drag but with the cold this week no one is going out unless they have to.

Sandy

[Keggermeister]

Yeah, its just too damn cold for a decent amount of sales/comfort!

We will be opening up on Saturdays at the old Halifax Farmers Market next week though! Proper Nomad Breakfast!

[mr x]

From the coast.

ALSO, the fun doesn’t stop there. Starting on February 18, Brooklyn Warehouse will join forces with resto on wheels Nomad Gourmet and do it street food-style for two weeks while its kitchen gets that overhaul mentioned above. A special street food menu, prepared by Brooklyn’s kitchen crew, with the Nomad’s (Nick Horne) gear, that you can enjoy in the comfort of a warm restaurant? This is too much goodness to process on a Friday. Check out the menu here.

http://www.thecoast.ca/RestaurantandBar ... ts-kitchen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[benwedge]

That was pretty clear evidence of how possible it is to get by with a little help from your friends, supporters and hungry customers and remain free of debt.

Crowdfunding is debt, unless the contract is written such that they can drop their end of the bargain without penalty.

[Keggermeister]

That was pretty clear evidence of how possible it is to get by with a little help from your friends, supporters and hungry customers and remain free of debt.

Crowdfunding is debt, unless the contract is written such that they can drop their end of the bargain without penalty.

You have to think about it a few different ways though... It is damn near impossible to get financing for projects like these under the business name, It is a way to avoid taking on the business debt personally.
Another way to look at it is that you are leveraging future profit. Realistically you are only borrowing about a third of the money, the rest is just the cost of doing business.

It is indeed new debt, but easier to shoulder than traditional bank debt. The customers call in their loans slower than a bank could do it. The restaurant can also control its payments by controlling the offer redemption times.

Crowd-funding is interesting...

[benwedge]

That was pretty clear evidence of how possible it is to get by with a little help from your friends, supporters and hungry customers and remain free of debt.

Crowdfunding is debt, unless the contract is written such that they can drop their end of the bargain without penalty.

You have to think about it a few different ways though... It is damn near impossible to get financing for projects like these under the business name, It is a way to avoid taking on the business debt personally.
Another way to look at it is that you are leveraging future profit. Realistically you are only borrowing about a third of the money, the rest is just the cost of doing business.

It is indeed new debt, but easier to shoulder than traditional bank debt. The customers call in their loans slower than a bank could do it. The restaurant can also control its payments by controlling the offer redemption times.

Crowd-funding is interesting...

It's definitely not traditional bank debt, but saying that this keeps them out of debt is a half-truth at best.

[mr x]

Food trucks on CBC radio shortly.

[mr x]

As far as crowd sourcing goes, it's got charm the first time around starting up, but after that I think you need to do your own financing and assume the risk yourself.

[mr x]

http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/569737 ... k-culture/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Keggermeister]

Vote for Nomad! The Coast's Best of Food Survey is out!
http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/Survey?survey=3491436

[GAM]

Done. I voted for the RB as well.

Sandy

[mr x]

CHANGING DIRECTIONS: Nick Horne

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1 ... nick-horne" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nick Horne tucked away his tools as an auto mechanic two years ago. But he’s finding that those skills still come in handy with his food truck business.

Horne, who owns and operates Nomad Gourmet, fixed European cars for 10 years before setting up the rolling restaurant business in 2012. Not surprisingly, he really knows the nuts and bolts of the 1977 Chevy one-ton step van that serves as his kitchen.

“I’m the one who fixes that thing,” the Beaver Bank native says. “I’ve had my finger on everything on that truck. Things break all the time.”

Horne worked full time as a licensed mechanic for 10 years, then decided he needed a new challenge. Technology in the field had advanced to such an extent that Horne felt like his job was more about plugging in a machine to diagnose a problem, rather than being able to fix it himself.

A foodie who did most of the cooking at home, Horne had already taken notice of North America’s emerging food truck craze.

“I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur, ever since I was a kid and had a lemonade stand,” he says.

Horne started developing the business venture in early 2012, after his second son was born. He was on paternity leave at the time and able to access funding and support through the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development in Halifax.

He enrolled in CEED’s Self Employment Benefits program, a 40-week intensive program for would-be entrepreneurs.

Nomad Gourmet hit the road in August 2012 and has been making inroads since in bring street-food culture to Halifax. Horne said he and a staff of two or more will be ready to roll again when signs of spring pop up.

The 35-year-old food truck owner says he’s had to learn to take a break from his business every day and fight the urge to work around the clock.

“Entrepreneurship is definitely a roller-coaster. The highs are high and the lows are low. You really have to stay the course,” he says.

[homebrewcrew]

Nice hat!!!!!!!!!

[mr x]

Food truck initiative too restrictive, Mayor Rob Ford says
Mayor opposes allowing Business Improvement Areas and local councillors to ban food trucks from their areas.



http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2 ... wners.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Supporters of Toronto’s food truck movement have a new — if unexpected — ally at city hall: Mayor Rob Ford.

The mayor was asked about the new street food bylaw recommendations from city staff.

Ford said he supports loosening the notoriously restrictive rules and that the latest proposal doesn’t go far enough.

At present, food trucks aren’t allowed to sell on city streets. They can sell in private parking lots, but only for 10 minutes at a time. The new regulations, which will go to council next month, would allow trucks to set up anywhere with “pay and display” street parking provided venders are 50 metres away from a bricks and mortar restaurant.

But there’s a catch.

City staff has also said that Business Improvement Areas — which are largely made up of restaurant owners — and local councillors can request that food trucks be banned from their neighbourhoods.

Ford said that restriction could jeopardize the point of the review, which was to make it easier for food truck drivers to operate.

“I think food vending is very important. I don’t like how the BIAs or councillors can kick them out of their area at any given time. That . . . kills it,” Ford said.

Under the current proposal, BIAs and councillors don’t have an outright veto, just a vote, which was enough to anger food truck owners.

Zane Caplansky, owner of Caplansky’s Deli on College St. who also runs a food truck, said he plans to take the city to court if it doesn’t back off the BIA loophole.

“That provision will gut the entire initiative,” Caplansky said.

Restaurant owners have expressed concern in the past that their business would be hurt if a food truck set up nearby. The mayor said his attitude is: “The more the merrier.”

Toronto has a poor record when it comes to street food. The city’s last attempt was a bureaucratic mess, which died within a year.

[chalmers]

Holy crap, they can only set up on private property and sell for 10 minutes? That can't be right. Maybe they mean in 10 min increments?

Kegger, how are things progressing for this year's HRM Food Trucks? Pleased with the changes that have taken place? Will you be back in the same location, or ? Looking forward to visiting the Nomad!

[Keggermeister]

Thanks for posting this.

[mr x]

Here's another Nick. Might be something recent in the Golbe lately too....

City bureaucrats recommend food truck freedom



http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/10/ci ... ck-freedom" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TORONTO - If city councillors can stomach it, Toronto’s street food scene is about to get a major shake-up.

City bureaucrats are recommending slashing most of the red tape that has tied up the emerging food truck industry.

The changes, if approved by council, would let food trucks with a food vending permit roam the city and set up shop in parking spots along streets and in parking lots provided they aren’t within 50 metres of a restaurant.

Carleton Grant, of the city’s licensing and standards department, predicted the changes will allow Toronto to join U.S. cities like Boston as a leader in the street food industry.

“We feel by providing those opportunities we will create a diverse food culture which is what Toronto is starving for,” Grant said Monday.

Staff hope the changes, if approved at a committee next week and at city council next month, could allow vendors to be up and running by the Victoria Day long weekend.

The changes could lead to food fights. Business improvement areas (BIAs) could object to food trucks using streets in their areas and push for a ban.

Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, a food truck advocate, said she believes there is support on city council for the changes.

“I’m optimistic that there is appetite for this,” McMahon said.

Councillor Mike Layton was open to looking at the rules, adding he’ll talk to the business improvement areas and restaurants in his ward about the 50-metre rule.

“I think that 50 metres is a pretty long distance,” Layton said. “When you have the density of restaurants that you have in my neighbourhood, that doesn’t leave a lot of space on the main streets.”

Mayoral candidate John Tory held a press conference Monday with Caplansky’s food truck in the background to urge councillors to approve the changes.

Tory called the street food debate “one of the longest-running soap operas at City Hall.”

[Keggermeister]

Just wanted to let the community know that we are hiring for the season. Looking for cooks and chefs.
Pass it on to your friends that may be looking for work. It's a pretty fun gig!

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-bar-food-hopital ... nFlag=true

Opportunity Knocks! This is your chance to jump in to the rapidly growing gourmet food truck culture! If you have what it takes, we want to hear from you!

Executive Chef Job Description

Basic Functions:

-Responsible for the daily operations of the kitchen, and provides professional leadership and direction to kitchen personnel. Ensures that all recipes, food preparations, and presentations meet restaurant's specifications and commitment to quality.
-Maintains a safe, orderly and sanitized kitchen. Demonstrates this by example, using proper food-handling techniques.

Duties

· Food Preparation
· Menu revision with each season
· Inventory control
· Food costing
· Managing employees
· Delivering consistent products
· Prepare and execute lunch service daily and scheduled catering events
· Maintain a safe and hygienic working environment, to include proper storage of food, equipment, utensils and implements, prevention of working environment hazards and accidents at work, following accident, first aid and emergency procedures.
· Train staff



Qualities

· Innovative
· Professional communication skills, oral and written.
· Skilled in several cuisines
· Team player
· Dedicated
· Organized
· Can work independently with little supervision
· Effective problem solving skills



Qualifications

· College or culinary training or extensive cooking and production experience. Red seal qualification preferred.
· Awareness of local, federal health and sanitation laws
· Nova Scotia Food Handlers Certificate
· Valid drivers License and clean record



If food truckin interests you, send along your current resume.

[chalmers]

Open today at the new location in front of the Spring Garden library. Chicken and Waffle sandwich, yum!

[vgoreham]

Open today at the new location in front of the Spring Garden library. Chicken and Waffle sandwich, yum!

I go to DalTech for a full effing decade and this happens after I graduate. WAAAAH.

Awesome spot though, hopefully the business does as well there as I expect it will!