A new all-electric food truck, The Mighty Vegans, will open next week in Longmont.
Owner Judge Marcellus chose an all-electric truck in an effort to be more sustainable. The truck is powered almost entirely by solar panels mounted on its roof, and the oven and refrigerator inside are powered by an electric generator.
“It’s more expensive, but I wanted to be as environmentally friendly as possible,” Marcellus said.
The menu has three options ranging in price from $9 to $13. All foods are gluten-free or have a gluten-free option. Marcellus is touting the “Vegan Delight,” filled with quinoa, salsa and falafel, as the signature meal to try on the truck. Pizza topped with vegetables and meatballs is also served, in addition to burgers and french fries.
Vegetarians and non-vegans alike can sample The Mighty Vegans on Monday at Renaissance Wine and Spirits in Longmont at 1425 S Airport Road Suite 104. The event begins at 4 p.m., and the first 100 patrons will eat free.
Next, Marcellus caters a private graduation party and then plans to make appearances at local businesses around Longmont. The Mighty Vegans schedule can be found at themightyvegans.com.
The menu is vegetarian because Marcellus is vegetarian herself. She started the diet after a lifelong vegan friend encouraged her to adopt it. She wants people to try the recipes she’s created over the past three-and-a-half years, noting that despite typical assumptions about plant-based food, the menu is centered around protein.
“It’s like a really good Chipotle,” she said.
She cites her experience working at the since-closed Scratch Kitchen in Denver as inspiration for this latest project. While Marcellus initially considered starting a restaurant, her friends in the food industry advised her to start with a food truck.
Now, the truck itself is a key point of what makes The Mighty Vegans unique. Marcellus had been driving an electric vehicle for years and an electric food truck seemed like the next logical step. The car, made in China, is equipped with a working kitchen. Marcellus installed the solar panels on the roof and replaced the truck’s batteries herself, but it was tuned to the original blueprints. She’s glad the generator she bought to power the appliances is odorless, saying pollution from gas generators shouldn’t be near food.
The Mighty Vegans maintains this spirit in their attempts to source their ingredients locally. She sources her staff locally, too: While Marcellus runs the show, her twin brother will help with the cooking and her teenage daughter will sometimes take over the register.
Marcellus has big dreams for the truck’s future. She has some new recipes like mango sushi and multi-bean sauce on the back burner, and is thinking about publishing The Mighty Vegans by Renaissance Wine and Spirits every Monday. Eventually, though, she sees an expansion of The Mighty Vegans’ fleet of trucks that serve “absolutely delicious food.”
As for its reach?
“All over the world,” said Marcellus.
