Bring in the dough: Computer programmer swaps out office space for food truck
As Regina's first-ever Food Truck Wars started gearing up on Sunday, one of the city's newest vendors found himself in a pickle, his oven not working and his pre-determined menu flying out the window.
Larry Gall, owner of Larry's Bread Machine, quickly swapped out his plans to make pizza, and rolled out items like fries and bagels instead. It's a hiccup that marks just another day in his new life as a food truck operator and business owner.
"I'm trying to be the best bread machine guy I can be," he said, as customers at Sunday's Centennial Market lined up for the mouth-watering smorgasbord of delights, from bannock to burgers to freshly-made ice-cream.
But, not so long ago, Gall's daily morning view was not that of a bustling market with food trucks, but an office space as a computer programmer.
When Great-West Life announced last year they were cutting 1,500 jobs across Canada as a cost-saving measure, Gall's job was one of those to go.
While some might have taken this as a body blow, Gall said he was ready to try something new.
He'd been operating at a farmer's market for years as a sideline to his day job.
"I thought I'm going to ramp up my bread business and turn it into a real business," he said.
When the opportunity came up to buy a friend's food truck, he jumped aboard, launching Larry's Bread Machine at the end of July.
Business has been slower than he expected, having lost some of his customers in his re-branding, but he says he still enjoys every day as an adventure.
"I am my own boss. It's kind of just me, doing things . . . I can pick what I want to do and hope for the best."
Following big city footsteps
Chrysta Garner, market manager at Centennial Markets, explains the Food Truck Wars concept came from bigger cities that have long such hosted these types of events.
Food trucks competed to be chosen as the "best blinged out" truck, as well as the customer and judge favourites — along with tempting customers to sample their wares.
"We wanted to go along with what Regina's food scene has, and everybody loves food, and why not do it in the Warehouse District? We've got so much to offer," said Garner.
She raved about the tantalizing offers, such as the fresh made bannock and bison burgers and the Sweet Tooth Rolled Ice Cream made on a cold plate and chopped up into combinations of straight sweet or sweet and savoury.
Larry's hot buns a hit
But she admitted that Larry's Bread Machine, and his hot buns, held a particularly soft spot in her heart, and a hold on her tastebuds.
"He does everything freshly every day," she said, saying with a chuckle, "I've kind of got a personal favourite there."
What's so amazing about the food truck scene anyway?
To Gall, it's the fact that food trucks go hand-in-hand with warmer weather, something new and novel after the long hard months of winter, something people look forward to, like the return of the geese.
When he returns to his food truck, a line has formed — perhaps a signal that Gall might just be like a goose, himself.
"My goal is to have people look forward to my return in the spring."
