The Beet StrEAT food truck, known for offering vegetarian and vegan food, will no longer serve Phoenix residents.
Clea Senneville and Jason Edwards, the business partners behind Beet StrEAT, closed because they no longer saw themselves running a food truck in the long term and could not see a way to accomplish their original goals.
“When we started, our focus was on creating a community outreach program with a food truck that would assist in that outreach,” Edwards said.
Originally, they envisioned two phases for the food truck. The first was taking the truck to events, and the second was a mobile food market with prepackaged and made-to-order meals.
After running the food truck, the partners realized it was not practical to move into the second phase.
“The food truck was not an appropriate vehicle for the mobile farmers’ market piece, it’s just too hot or cold (to keep the food fresh),” Senneville said.
Beet StrEAT offered healthy vegetarian food that focused on fresh and simple homemade meals. They catered for special events, operated at Food Truck Fridays at the Phoenix Public Market and participated in First and Third Fridays at a Whole Foods Market.
Lily Hissong, a Phoenix resident and frequent Beet StrEAT customer, was surprised and upset after finding out it closed. Beet StrEAT was the only truck at Food Truck Fridays that catered to her vegan diet. Her favorite was the falafel burger, which she often ate on her lunch break.
“I would try all their vegan stuff, mix it up,” Hissong said.
Now the truck is up for sale and, ideally, the partners will be able to sell the truck and the business, Senneville said.
“My whole heart is in the business, so I would love to see someone take it on with a similar passion to provide healthy food to the Valley,” Senneville said.
Edwards said they are still pursuing community outreach opportunities. He said the saddest part of closing is losing interaction with the community of food-truck owners.
“We love the truck and the industry and the food-truck community, but it’s not what we see ourselves doing in the long term,” Senneville said. “It takes everything you have, every last penny and every last minute of sleep. We still have so much to learn about how to do it effectively.”
Contact the reporter at jessica.zook@asu.edu
