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