Local Food Truck Owner Steps Up And Offers Meals To Anyone Without Power

Travis Berlenbach, owner of Trip Taco food truck in Peterborough put a pause on business as usual after a devastating storm hit the area on Saturday and offered residents soup and sandwiches while many were left without power.

Berlenbach was busy setting up his Taco truck at Fleming College for the Electric City football game when the storm hit.

“We just got set up and then the storm hit,” he said. “It was pretty crazy. We had to bring some people into the trailer because I saw things flying through the air and I knew it was a risk to try and make it to the building.”

After the storm, Berlenbach began to hear of the mass power outages in the city, though he still had power. He knew he needed to do something.

“I wanted to open on Sunday, but I wasn’t able to get into my shop because it’s at one of the only gas stations open in town,” he said.

He says he didn’t realize the extent of the damage and amount of people out of power and food until he went to visit his mom.

“Normally it annoys me when I see fast food joint packed, being a tiny local taco shop but I realized people weren’t there to get burgers and fries, they were there out of necessity,” said Berlenbach.

Berlenbach says because of working in restaurants his whole life, he is quite resourceful.

In a social media post on Monday, Berlenbach announced his plans to put together soup and sandwiches to distribute at his food truck, and that he wouldn’t be officially charging anything - though welcomed people to pay what they could.

“My job is to feed people and I just wanted to try and do that as best as I could I guess. I know what it’s like to have your back against the wall needing something. I have something right now, not much but I have it if people need it,” said Berlenbach.

Trip Taco is located at 1794 Chemong Rd. They offer catering for events of all sizes.

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