What started as a food truck in Fort McMurray, is turning into Kelowna含羞草研究社檚 newest brewery.
Back in 2015, Kelowna含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社楾he Grub Wagon含羞草研究社�. The two met, got married, bought the food truck for themselves and moved to Mitchell含羞草研究社檚 Kelowna home while continuing to operate the food truck. 含羞草研究社楾he Wagon含羞草研究社� has been a staple at the Kelowna含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檝e had the idea to expand and pursue their dream into opening a brewery.
含羞草研究社淲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,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell. 含羞草研究社淚 needed to start to think about a decision to make a career shift.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淥nce I saw the writing on the wall, I realized it wasn含羞草研究社檛 going to be as easy as I thought to just jump in,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell. 含羞草研究社淚 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含羞草研究社檝e been home brewing for a couple years now and it含羞草研究社檚 one of those things where I wanted to pursue my dream job.含羞草研究社�
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. 含羞草研究社満卟菅芯可鐪It was a shoebox with a bathroom in it,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell.
The space helps extend Kelowna含羞草研究社檚 brewery district further east as it含羞草研究社檚 down the road from Railside Brewing, which opened last August.
含羞草研究社淚 think we含羞草研究社檙e pretty fortuitous that Railside opened up before us because it含羞草研究社檚 always good to have brewery neighbours,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell. 含羞草研究社淲e have good neighbours right in our building.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淭he Wagon is [vegan and vegetarian] so we含羞草研究社檇 be foolish to abandon the following that we含羞草研究社檝e amassed with the food truck,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell. 含羞草研究社淭o my knowledge, I含羞草研究社檝e been to a lot of breweries in the province but haven含羞草研究社檛 been to one that含羞草研究社檚 vegan or vegetarian, there含羞草研究社檚 definitely a nich茅 market there.含羞草研究社�
Mitchell and Cain eat mostly plant-based foods and live by the mantra 含羞草研究社榚at more plants含羞草研究社�.
As for a name, 含羞草研究社楾he Wagon含羞草研究社� name won含羞草研究社檛 continue. The brewery will be named Buffalo Rouge Brewing, and there含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 friends called Mitchell 含羞草研究社楶apa Rouge含羞草研究社� because of his red hair. His plumbing company was also called 含羞草研究社楻ed Giant Mechanical含羞草研究社�.
含羞草研究社淲e just sort of merged the two together,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell. 含羞草研究社淥ver the years of talking about a name, we decided that含羞草研究社檚 what it含羞草研究社檚 going to be. It stuck and it had a nice ring to it.含羞草研究社�
The couple含羞草研究社檚 goal is to have the brewery open in the spring. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e going to keep the pedal to the medal here,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell.
Mitchell has been homebrewing for a couple years and plans on having a little bit of everything at the establishment.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e planning on having a bit of a mix of traditional craft beer offerings as well as experimental and seasonal beers that we含羞草研究社檒l rotate,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell, who loves making hazy IPA beers the most. 含羞草研究社淚 like making beers for occasions. The seasonality of brewing is important. If there含羞草研究社檚 something big or important in our lives or coming up for the brewery or the city, we含羞草研究社檒l have specific beers for those purposes.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e trying to live our family mom-and-pop shop fantasy,含羞草研究社� said Mitchell. 含羞草研究社淚t seems like the universe wants this to happen. It含羞草研究社檚 nice to set down roots here.含羞草研究社�
READ MORE: Lower Mainland brewery expanding to Lake Country
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