A Richmond food truck run by 3 teens takes off

On a new, sunny June afternoon, tables of sellers lined a grassy park at the Richmond Farmers Industry, offering area create, artisanal crafts and home made food stuff. 

Between them: Glory Burger, a Richmond-centered meals truck that dishes homemade burgers and fries at weekly farmers markets and exclusive functions all around Chittenden County. 

But not like most foods vehicles, Glory Burger is managed and operated fully by 3 young people.

Ryan O’Neil, Shea Smith and Adam Weinstein, all 17 years aged, will be seniors at Mount Mansfield Union Significant University this tumble. O’Neil and Weinstein are from Richmond, even though Smith hails from Huntington. 

The a few pals all have prior practical experience in the foods industry. Smith and Weinstein labored at the now-closed Kitchen Table Bistro, and O’Neil and Smith work at Stone Corral Brewery in Richmond. The trio explained they acquired most of their cooking capabilities from their mom and dad and from doing work in their kitchens at property.

They started their foods truck organization very last summer season, working with the Richmond Farmers Current market as their house base. 

“It was just a tent and a handful of fold-up tables,” Weinstein said of final year’s setup. “We started off with no cash, and we just form of built it from the floor up.” 

Glory Burger is now a absolutely equipped cafe on wheels. While not technically a truck, the kitchen can be hitched to 1 and towed wherever needed.  It’s total with jogging water and enough cooking room. 

The new moveable kitchen area has made them extra arranged and economical, Weinstein claimed.

In Glory Burger’s early times, most of the buyers were being buddies from university, Weinstein explained. This summer season, they’re cooking up foodstuff for a significantly wider client foundation.

“Being right here at the farmers market place, you establish folks who just come again,” O’Neil reported. “And as soon as you acquire that buyer base, you can start to develop it.”

Throughout a recent interview at Glory Burger, the public’s enthusiasm for the foodstuff was apparent. A passerby yelled, “Your food stuff is brilliant!” O’Neil, Smith and Weinstein responded with a “thanks” and a wave.

Glory Burger’s menu is composed of four unique burgers and three variations of fries, marketed on colourful chalkboard menus. They use community Vermont beef and highlight the farm of origin on their menu. 

Final summer season, earning a revenue was not a major precedence, in accordance to the trio. This 12 months, they are earning sufficient to sustain the procedure. 

“Initially, we were actually executing it for the enjoyment of cooking, which was continue to portion of the motive why we do it,” Smith explained. “Not saying that our financial gain is one thing insane, but now we’re at a position where by we can make enough income to make it seriously worthy of it.”

The teens also acknowledged that their parents’ assistance has a whole lot to do with their results. The mothers and fathers aided boost the enterprise when it was just obtaining off the floor, Smith explained. 

The truck’s identify was partially impressed by a loved ones recipe. Smith claimed his mom makes a food she calls the “Glory Bowl,” and when the three close friends were batting all around names for their company, “glory” seemed to stick. “It kinda just grew on us,” Weinstein reported.

Earlier this thirty day period, the Glory Burger workforce identified out that they are finalists for three Seven Daysies awards, introduced by the Burlington-primarily based weekly, Seven Times: Most effective Food stuff Truck, Most effective Burger (within Chittenden County) and Greatest French Fries.

Because the teens have only one particular much more yr of higher school, the issue looms as to what they will do with the truck arrive graduation. 

“That’s a terrific concern,” Smith claimed. 

“We’ve place a great deal of time into it and a good deal of love,” Weinstein stated. 

“We really don’t want it to sit,” Smith explained. 

They don’t see them selves keeping in the foods business just after superior college but hope to open their have companies afterwards in daily life. Nevertheless, they are thankful for the prospect Glory Burger has delivered them so significantly. 

“This is a excellent way to master how to commence a enterprise and it is just fun,” Smith stated. 

O’Neil mentioned the three buddies have acquired a key lesson: “There’s no benefit in ready to do a little something we want to do if we can just do it now.”

Did you know VTDigger is a nonprofit?

Our journalism is created doable by member donations. If you benefit what we do, remember to add and aid continue to keep this vital source accessible to all.