We got a chance to grill Vancouver food truck tycoon Suzanne Poudrier on her secrets to the success of their filmic take on a comfort classic.
Tell us your story, how was Reel Mac and Cheese born?
We have been in the mobile food business for over 20 years, starting with food concessions that operated at fairs and festivals such as the PNE and the Calgary Stampede. We had trailers that were not suitable for ‘day bookings’ so I thought it would be a good idea to build a food truck and the concept for REEL Mac and Cheese came to me while we were on vacation in Europe.
What was a challenge you faced with Reel Mac and Cheese when you first entered the Food Truck Industry?
Having food trailers already and my knowledge of the business definitely gave us a leg up but what did surprise me was how our new food truck out performed our other, already, successful trailers.
What is something that would surprise people about the Food Truck industry?
How it is very important that you play nicely with others and have the reputation of being a good operator. There is a lot of ‘choosing’ and being chosen in our biz.
What are some of the most memorable events Reel Mac and Cheese has been part of?
We have had so many awesome events and requests but a couple that really stand out for me was the FIRST Pemberton Music Festival in 2014 and Skookum in 2018.
My personal favourite menu item is Godzilla! What are your two top selling menu items and what is your personal favourite?
Mine too! I love Godzilla! Our top seller, however, is Kevin Bacon. How can you go wrong with bacon?
What Reel Mac and Cheese variety never made it out of the test kitchen?
Hmmm we played around with one called Popeye, spinach topping. But we taste tested it against The Green Mile (broccoli) and it lost by a landslide. We have also had The breakfast Club on and off the menu but honestly, that fried egg slows us down.
Who is the most memorable celebrity/personality that you’ve served your Mac and Cheese to and what did they order?
There have been a few. The Lead singer from the Arkells, Terry; David Mulligan, Bruce Allen (twice) and Monica Lewinsky come to my mind the first!
What’s the most interesting thing that’s happened in your career so far?
We are always surprised by how lovely people are to us and how happy for us that we are an actual true family business. We get the coolest opportunities and we can only thank our yummy mac and cheese for the journey.
COVID has affected us all in different ways. If you’re comfortable, can you share with us how this time has affected you and your business? And do you have a message to share with the community?
COVID has been devastating to our business. By the middle of March we had all three of our food trucks booked pretty much solid right through to October and by the end of March every single solid event and booking had been either cancelled or postponed. We have had to start all over building our business up from nothing and that is hard when there IS nothing.
What advice do you have for someone wanting to start their own business? What is something you wish someone had told you?
Make sure you know what your plan is. You cannot just build a food truck and start selling food. Do you want to do catering? Special events? Find a permanent location? What?
What’s coming up for you? (new product releases, development, events)
We are trying to stay relevant in 2020 so we will keep plugging away. We are now doing birthday parties, retirement parties and gender reveals… Everything is on the table this year so book us while you can!
Suzanne shares five fun facts about The Reel Mac and Cheese
- We are a true family run business. The core team is my husband Perry, myself, our daughter Danielle and her husband Mikael.
- Got my wheels turning in the Camden Market in London while on vacation.
- Perry is a professional cook.
- We’ve built three matching food trucks over 7 years. And if not for COVID-19 this year, they would all be fully booked to the end of the year.
- Our menu items are all movie titles or related. Sometimes the chicken comes before the egg and sometimes the egg comes before the chicken.
For more info:
Website: www.reelmacandcheese.com/
Instagram: @reelmacandcheese