David Verlee and Thierry Mohrbach did not bring any food to the Monday, June 10, council meeting but the description of their plans sounded mouth-watering enough. They proposed to place a Belgian waffle food truck on Bowen Island near the upper part of the ferry line-up and asked council for green light so they wouldn't miss the busy summer season. Yet at the June 24 meeting, planning consultant Judy McLeod presented a report that deemed it unlikely that waffles from a mobile vending truck will be available on Bowen Island anytime soon.
"We've approached the municipality in January with this very simple concept that is done everywhere in Vancouver," Verlee said. "We feel that offering waffles and coffee would be good for the community and would make waiting in the ferry line a bit more fun."
Verlee explained that he has a background in business while Mohrbach is already well-known on the island for making delicious food as a partner at Artisan Eats. They've both been Bowen residents for a number of years and have come up with a concept that would add to the island's food choices.
"We planned to offer two kinds of waffles," Verlee said. "One will be Gauffre de Liege - these are the waffles you have for breakfast. We'll also have waffles as a meal where we insert combinations such as ham and cheese, spinach and cheese and fresh fruit."
Verlee explained that the waffles can be made with organic flour and can be gluten free for a healthy snack. And the price? "Everything on menu will be under $5," Verlee said.
As a suitable location, Verlee and Mohrbach had identified an area next to Government Road, across from the BICS field. "[The area] already has two picnic tables and it's a perfect spot for the trailer," Verlee said. "Depending on the approval process from the municipality, we wanted to open by July so we could take advantage of the summer traffic on Bowen Island." Water for the operation of the waffle truck would be brought in as well as a propane generator, unless there was the option to hook up to an electrical outlet, according to Verlee, who added that the truck conforms to Vancouver Coastal Health regulations.
Although Verlee and Mohrbach saw the summer season as a perfect opportunity to open the business, they envisioned the waffle truck to operate year-round. "We plan to employ three people. One for the preparation and two on staff selling waffles," Verlee said.
In the follow-up report, McLeod said that the waffle truck relates to the mobile food vending issue that is currently not permitted on municipal road allowance and that a subsequent effort to find a suitable private place has not been successful.
Not only is mobile food vending not allowed, Verlee and Mohrbach would operate out of a trailer, a use that is specifically prohibited in the bylaw, McLeod explained. "Support for the waffle truck would require an amendment of the bylaw," she said, adding that this would need to be followed by a review of what kind of permit process would be needed. And even though the operators have approached the Bowen Island Municipality a the beginning of 2013, they have not submitted a proper application, according to McLeod. "We haven't had the opportunity to even think about zoning and whether other businesses will have an interest in this," she said. "We would like to proceed but it would not be [in time for] this summer." McLeod added that placing the food truck on public land would also require attention to issues like insurance.
Councillor Alison Morse stated that the Economic Development Advisory Committee passed a resolution in support of the concept of mobile food vending as this is seen as a potential boost to Bowen's economy. Mayor Jack Adelaar said that while he is for economic development, he is also aware of potential conflicts with businesses who have larger overheads such as rents or mortgages. Councillor Wolfgang Duntz said it is important to gauge public opinion on the issue. "On a trial basis, the municipality could earmark suitable locations and then invite bids from the community," Duntz said.
