Food Truck Spotlight

A Coffee Movement is all about pushing boundaries

The Coffee Movement food truck, operating in South Carolina, is all about pushing the boundaries of what consumers consider to be coffee.

Provided

August 14, 2023

Food Truck Name: A Coffee Movement
Owners: Abel Wilson & Michelle Burnem
Founded: April/2022
Location: Conway, South Carolina

How did you come up with the name?

The name came from two ideas. One idea being that we wanted to constantly be on the move. Seeking places that don't have access to great coffee and bring it to them. The other idea was that the coffee we source and serve wants to value all people involved in its productions particularly farmers and their workers. Using coffee roasters who are transparent about the prices they paid for their coffee allows us to select coffee that bring farmers closer to a livable wage.

What prompted you to start a food truck?

Our love for coffee and people as well as not having access to great coffee like we'd had in other places around the US and the world.

What's on your food truck menu? Why did you choose this cuisine?

Coffee from all different parts of the world and different roasters as well. We have some really thoughtfully made signature drinks and seasonal specials. Some of our favorites were an hibiscus espresso mule, and an orange blossom cardamom latte.

Do you make all the food on the truck or do you use home-based kitchen or commissary space?

We do! We use both a home based kitchen for our occasional pastry and drink testing and a commissary space for syrup production.

What's the best part of being a food truck operator?

We have a lot of control over our schedule. We get to decide where to go and figure out what works well. The upside side is that we can always change things up if one place isn't working.

What's the worst part of operating a food truck?

The most difficult part is that all of our production cannot happen while we are open. Whether that is making syrups, cold brew, seasonal drink development, and coffee sourcing. All of these things have to happen when we are closed and sometime it feels like work never ends. Weekends disappear and weeks go by.

What lessons have you learned since launching the truck?

That your build and process will never be perfect. I'm limited on space, quantity of supplies, and gas but that doesn't mean we cannot make fantastic beverages. Things break and you learn to live with the punches.

Is there anything you would have done differently at the start?

Truthfully I don't think so.

Any tips/advice to others thinking of launching a food truck?

Starting with what you have available for yourself and growing into happiness and content with that is far easily that pushing it off until you find the perfect thing. If you are passionate about what you're doing and serving others will see and notice that!

Do you have any anecdotes about running a food truck?

We really try to push the boundaries of what people consider to be coffee. Whether that is a coffee that is co-fermented with peaches or serving a coffee mocktail, we seriously love seeing people's reactions to really interesting drinks. At its core, it's still coffee but we want to turn it into something else that is more respected and sustainable for the future!

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