Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I N O. X S M A L L B U S I N E S S S trawberry shortcake and "sweet- abaga" sweet potato and rutabaga waffles are menu staples at the Pink Waffle, Roux Kehoe's new mobile eatery. It debuted in early May with stops outside a Portland brewery and a Scarborough fitness studio. "e weekend was a huge success," he says. "I sold out about an hour earlier than expected at the brewery … and got great feedback about the waffles." Kehoe, a new member of Portland's Fork Food Lab shared commercial kitchen and culinary-business incubator, says he served about 70 customers his first weekend out. While focusing on greater Portland initially, he eventually plans to take his Durham-based trailer to Brunswick and Lewiston-Auburn — one of the pluses of running a business that can travel anywhere. His wagon is a former Fryeburg Fair concession vehicle he bought secondhand for around $30,000 and molded into a wheeled waffle business on a mission to "stop hunger at the sidewalk." "I have always been a big fan of waffles, and I like the freedom that a mobile food establishment allows you," says Kehoe, who spent some time in Belgium — a country known for its waffles — during a backpack- ing European honeymoon. As for the name of the business and its Instagram identity, he says, "I was trying to think of something fun, and I love the color pink." Welcome to the wild and wacky world of food businesses on wheels, a segment that took off in Maine — and elsewhere — during the pandemic when traditional restaurants were closed to in-person dining or forced out of business entirely. at's opened up opportunities for newcomers like Kehoe hungry to start a business at a fraction of the cost — and hassle — of a bricks-and-mortar setup as well as new revenue streams for existing busi- nesses. Even old-guard establishments like DiMillo's in Portland are entering the fray, with plans to roll out its own truck by late May with a crew of five I have always been a big fan of waffles, and I like the freedom that a mobile food establishment allows. — Roux Kehoe The Pink Waffle P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Restaurant-industry veteran and new food-truck entrepreneur Roux Kehoe says the Pink Waffle served about 70 customers its first weekend out. F O C U S M AY 1 7 , 2 0 2 1 20 Hot wheels Maine food trucks are growing at a fast clip B y R e n e e C o r d e s

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