The River Food Pantry came to us via a lead from a national food truck manager. When I first reached out to Helen at The River Food Pantry (TRFP), I conducted a detailed interview with her to better understand what their mission for the truck would be in Madison, WI. It quickly became apparent that this truck would fulfill a very important role in the mission of TRFP, which is to feed the hungry in the greater Madison area. When you hear their story, these are the types of organizations you want to cheer for, and it was a true honor to complete this build for them!

But it is safe to say it was not the smoothest road getting there! Here is what happened… We purchased a brand-new 18′ truck, designed the layout, completed the build and delivered the truck to the parking lot at TRFP. Everything seemed to be going to plan. Our trainer flew into Madison to conduct on-site training, and all seemed to be progressing as planned. Shortly after our trainer left, we received a call that the “check engine” light had illuminated on the dashboard. This was a brand-new truck, with no miles on it, so we assumed the issue was minor and we recommended that they take it to the local dealer for analysis. 4 weeks then passed and multiple attempts to repair the truck (by the dealer) yielded no results. After several repair attempts, the dealer proclaimed the issue was fixed and the truck was picked up and brought back to TRFP. Next day, the light came on again and a squealing noise was coming from the back end of the truck. Back to the dealership it went!

Another 4 weeks then passed! With frustration mounting, we intervened as much as possible and got very involved in bringing this to a positive resolution for TRFP. After many more weeks of no repair progress, negotiations and the fact that TRFP never made it to the road to serve one customer, the truck manufacturer declared the truck a “lemon” and bought it back at nearly its full value. While very stressful and frustrating for TRFP, they never lost faith in us and along came the order for TRFP Munch 2.0! We purchased another truck, completed the build out in record time and delivered the truck to the TRFP as fast as possible!

TRFP has since deployed the truck for its intended purpose, and it continues to serve TRFP’s mission of feeding the hungry in the greater Madison area! What made this build unique is the produce display area! We built a roll up door into the wall of the truck, produced tilted shelves and added RPC baskets to the shelves so fresh fruits and vegetables could be added to the meals they serve daily! The last report I received from Rhonda, the Executive Director was that the truck was fully functional and serving its intended purpose! We learned a lot on this project, good and bad! But through it all, TRFP never lost faith in us and our ability to go above and beyond for your customers….no matter how bad it gets!

We truly wish TRFP, and all its stakeholders continued success in the future, and we hope this truck serves your mission for many years to come!