Hub for up to eight food trucks envisioned as ‘gathering spot’
When warm weather finally settles in the city, Calgary could be welcoming its first summer-long food truck patio.
Matthew Worona moved to Calgary six months ago with an idea, inspired by the diverse food scene in Portland, Ore.
He wanted to rent a large lot and fill it with food trucks, where people could try a diverse mix of food and drink. Worona said he wants it to be “a great gathering spot in Calgary’s established neighbourhoods.”
Cargo Food Market is no longer just an idea but a reality, set to open May 1.
Details on the location of Cargo are not yet finalized. Worona is looking in the Beltline, Kensington and Inglewood as potential fits for his plan.
Worona said the bylaws in Calgary are less strict than those in other cities, making it the ideal location for his food truck dream.
But first, Worona took to the streets to learn from the experts.
“I needed the nitty gritty details because I’ve never run a food truck,” Worona said.
Before moving to Calgary, he worked for the City of Toronto in transportation.
After emailing about 100 local vendors, he met with 20 separate owners.
He asked about how they run their businesses, what their difficulties were, if they need electricity, how many orders they could fill before needing a refill on water, permits, parking and everything in between.
“There is this idea in the air since I’ve moved here, that people can really throw different ideas and solutions at the wall to see what sticks,” Worona said.
“There is this culture of entrepreneurship and a huge increase in small business ownership. The way I see Cargo is as a vehicle — it’s unlocking a turnkey solution for food service entrepreneurship.”
Cargo is as much about the patrons as it is the vendors.
Eight trucks will be able to rent space on site for the beginning of Cargo. If Worona is able to expand in future years, he hopes to change the model, where people can rent trailers on site.
“Allowing people to try things inexpensively and quickly is really exciting for me,” he said, comparing it to the bigger risk of opening a restaurant.
“Taking down those really, really high barriers to starting this kind of culture is really important,” said Worona. “I love the kind of food that comes out of that environment.”
He hopes interested locals will see the “for rent” sign on the trailers and decide to take a chance on something new.
“There is a huge amount of people that are just so excited for different options and being able to try new things in Calgary,” he said.