New South Florida Food Truck Wants to Feed You for Free!

By Jamie Long Thu., Mar. 10 2011 at 1:34 PM

Categories: Order Up

Pin It

Seth and Melissa Bryan of Fire Within Food Truck

The Fire Within -- a new food truck still under construction -- needs help hitting the road.

Chef husband-and-wife duo Seth and Melissa Bryan are itching to run their own eatery, but the costs of a traditional restaurant weren't something they could afford. "The overhead of a brick-and-mortar restaurant was not something we were willing to take on, so we decided to put it on wheels, but the start-up costs so far have depleted our savings."

Two months ago, the couple purchased a church shuttle bus as their mobile unit. Currently, construction is under way to transform the shuttle bus to the food truck of their dreams.

The church shuttle is ready for a makeover.

Seats removed and donated to the Boy Scouts.

To help complete the transformation, the Bryans developed an innovative way to raise capital by repaying sponsors with food credits and/or free advertising. Here are the deets:
For every $1 (up to $999) donated, they will repay with a $2 food credit. If a sponsor donates $1,000 or more, he will receive free food for life. Give $2,500 and receive free advertising for life on the truck in addition to free food. A $5,000 donation adds a monthly cash donation to a charity of the sponsor's choice. Their goal is to raise $10,000 to get the food truck on the road as early as October 1.

The Fire Within plans to offer an eclectic, wandering menu that will change periodically. Customers can expect panini, wraps, and soups as some menu staples. "We want to serve all our favorite foods," says Melissa. The Bryans' current employer, Mijas Tex Mex in West Palm Beach, will serve as the truck's commissary (a location where you're required by law to store the truck) and house supplies.

Can the Bryans achieve their goal of raising $10,000 to be ready to hit the road this fall? "I know we will; I have no doubt about it," says Melissa. To the Bryans, success is simply a matter of getting the word out to potential sponsors. Interested in helping? Go to the Fire Within's website, foodtruckroadtrip.com, to learn more.

Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter: @CleanPlateBPB.

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Dining Newsletter: The week's top local food news and events, plus interviews with chefs and restaurant owners, dining tips, and a peek at our print review.