Many of our loyal readers already know that Dave and I enjoy celebrating conscientious and proactive business people who are working to make a difference in the world while providing their services. Today I am delighted to highlight a local Kootenay based business with this wonderful discussion below.

We met Narae Kang, owner of Kimchi Kitchen, when we saw a social media post offering a fantastic opportunity for other local businesses: a free vinyl decal (10×6) displayed on her mobile kitchen unit. Something small for her customers to explore while they wait for her food.

From a marketer’s point of view, I saw your selfless, non-promotional post as a great way to reach out to the community. Dave and I, for example, had heard about the truck, but weren’t customers yet; however, once we have purchased a meal there, we are definitely customers now. Also dozens of people who saw the post were so impressed that they responded saying they would be truck shopping soon and called on others to support such selfless business. So while the intent for Kimchi Kitchen didn’t come from a marketing angle at all…the result was that they gained popularity, gained more exposure to a very specific market, and created a very strong networking system with dozens of other businesses. premises, including ourselves.

When Dave put down our ad stickers, he also ordered the sweet chili chicken (see picture), which was delicious and so generous a helping hand that Dave and I were fed 3 separate meals each! As you can see from the pictures, this dish came with these big pickled yellow vegetables that made Dave and I guess what they were. I was thinking maybe Kholrabi or chestnut, using a turmeric based pickling brine. Dave guessed correctly: it was “…a pickled Korean Daikon (radish),” Narae explained. “I use gardenia powder to make it yellow.”

I asked Narae to tell us a bit about herself and this is what she said: “I was born in South Korea, moved to Canada after marrying this amazing man in Calgary. Our goal was to move to the Kootenay region (BC). , Canada) since we got married. Thanks to my husband’s woodworking skills and my enthusiasm for Korean food, we opened Kimchi Kitchen in May 2019.”

As an environmentally conscious customer, I immediately noticed the compostable to-go packaging and was curious about its composition. Narae explained that the entire food truck and street food industry is changing: “The collapsible containers are made from sugar cane. Yes, they are expensive. But the surprising thing is that I am not the only one who uses this type of container. Most of the food trucks I know of also choose environmentally friendly packaging.”

It turns out that there is a very practical reason for choosing these options. “In the beginning, my main goal was to go to the festivals and events in the Kootenay region, like the Kaslo Jazz Festival or the Starbelly Jam. Most of the festivals have a zero waste policy and I admire their efforts to save the environment. I wanted to join their movement. Even though all those big events are canceled due to COVID, I use wooden forks and chopsticks instead of plastic ones.”

The couple’s dedication to the environment is admirable. “I have a fully electric car, I swapped it with my truck last year. I am 1000% satisfied with my choice and I encourage people to go electric. It has many benefits. I also have 16 chickens and a rooster. They take care of the leftovers from our kitchen and in return they give me beautiful, healthy eggs. The rest goes into my compost bin. The chicken manure is given to the neighbors who have a garden and share some vegetables with me.”

This couple had many reasons for choosing the hard life of being an entrepreneur. “Two main reasons,” he explains, “one was the child I support. When I moved here I couldn’t find a full-time job. All that was available at the time was either seasonal, minimum wage, or the job was too far away. I support a child in Honduras through World Vision Maria, a girl’s name I wanted to give if I ever had a daughter I tried but could no longer support her without an income in the winter That’s when I decided to open a food truck food. The first year, my goal was to support her throughout the year. The second year, my goal is to send her chickens as a Christmas present (and I’m working on it). The second reason is the movie ‘The Chef’, based on the true story of a ‘Kogi’ food truck in California. Roy Choi is now a Korean-American celebrity chef, who became my role model.”

Being an entrepreneur in these times (when events are limited and tight budgets keep customers at home), Kimchi Kitchen has learned to adapt, finding alternative ways to overcome a variety of challenges. “The first year I opened, surprisingly, people had a pretty good knowledge of Korean food. Living in a city where there is very little Korean population, that was something to think about. Why don’t we have a good Korean restaurant here? I introduced those classic dishes that people know well: Korean Chicken, Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Kimchi, etc., which was a success, However, since I introduced those foods to the city, other pubs and restaurants started a similar menu with the same name. So I had to come up with something else. To stand out, I introduced trendy Korean street food, like veggie dumplings with gochujang sauce. I left behind a signature item: sweet chili chicken… Constantly changing menu calls People’s attention, the special changes every week.. Just like the Galbi burger last year, people keep hounding me to do that again.. My original goal was to go to the main festivals and events. lmente. Since these events are not happening at the moment, I park my r food trail in a spot and open to serve lunch or dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Since I have to travel 2 hours (round trip) from my house to Creston, I can’t serve lunch and dinner while taking care of a bunch of animals in my house.”

Kimchi Kitchen primarily uses social media to share the truck schedule, planned location for particular dates, and any special changes to the menu. Since over 90% of their customers are local, they find that word of mouth has been their best promotional tool thus far. According to Narae, “I move around the Kootenay area, find me on Facebook or Instagram, @kimchikitchenbc… People ask me to come to certain places,” she continues. “Last year we were in Kuskonook Harbour, Crawford Bay, Creston and Boswell along the lake. Some restaurant owners were not welcoming to us. Some were very nice. Anyway, in all these places we had a lot of fun… But it’s also very tiring to move frequently. Now I stay in one place as long as possible. Before their grand opening this year, Wildnorth Brewery wanted us to be there for the celebrations. Starting July 1, we’ll be stationed there.” .

Time management is always a challenge for freelancers and I asked Narae to share some tips they’ve learned along the way. “We’ve learned to simplify the process; we use similar ingredients, but differentiate only a few key ingredients for menu items. You learn to prioritize what needs to be done first… You’re faced with hundreds of different situations every day. It could be that the generator fails or something customer service related…or you injure yourself from the hot oil.Hot weather is one of the biggest challenges, as is cooking under pressure when there are 10 people watching me make their fast food.There are too many to mention here… But I can definitely tell you that racism is not part of the challenge. As an Asian woman, I have never faced racism while running my business. Rather, people stand behind me and tell me all the kind words in the world. They care about me when they don’t even have to. The great support I receive in Creston and the Kootenay area is something I really want to shout out! And you know, that made me zo want to pay-it-forward in appreciation for the great support I’ve received, that’s why I’m putting up the social media post about: the free advertising sticker on my food truck.”

Networking is a big part of running a business, so I asked Narae for her thoughts on it. “When people come for my food, I try to strike up a conversation to get to know them better, especially for regular customers. I ask their name and I remember it.” She answered. “Remembering small details of their needs (some like more pickles, others want spicier, etc.). Getting to know other business owners is also a huge plus. I’ve gotten a lot of inquiries from curious customers. Some asked if I wanted to sell my business some asked questions about operating a food truck Many people are interested in opening their own food truck I do my best to provide valuable advice with the understanding that we are all trying to survive, providing for our family and pay the bills. I will always continue to offer great food and support other local businesses.”

This bright yellow food truck is not to be missed, with a constantly changing menu that will never seem redundant or boring. Customers will also notice that the staff is not only friendly, but they also bring out the food quickly. Although you won’t have to wait long for your food, take time to explore the many decals that will soon be decorating the exterior of this bright yellow vehicle, celebrating other local entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit their Facebook page @: https://www.facebook.com/kimchikitchenbc