Erie resident Hannah Burlen wants to make healthy food accessible, craveable and community-loved.
The 25-year-old says she’s always wanted to own a health food restaurant and promote healthier options for customers, so she started with a food truck, Nature’s Nomad. She has a degree in public health and works at a preventative healthcare clinic.
Since launching the mobile business this summer, Burlen and her fiancé Brad Shinevarre have been traveling to different locations in Monroe County peddling their products. They also do private events like graduation parties and baby showers.
“We can move around like a nomad and the nature aspect is because we’re selling natural food, basically organic and local when we can,” Burlen said. “We’ll focus on selling our products at farmers and makers markets.”
When the couple is not attending an event, they will be parked in a lot somewhere in the county. Locations will be posted on Facebook and Instagram. They use social media to advertise the business and plan to create a website.
Burlen said having worked in the medical field, navigating the food industry has been an interesting journey.
“Currently, the food truck has two options – smoothies and our specialty is an acai bowl,” she said. “It’s a thick smoothie base. Acai is a berry that is grown in the Amazon with a low amount of naturally occurring sugar but it has a high fiber content. It’s served with some natural fruit like organic banana, organic mango and organic blueberry. We blend it with little water so it has a sorbet thick consistency.”
Burlen said many customers order Brad’s Blue Boogie, a smoothie blended with protein, organic peanut butter, organic dates and fruits.
“We’re trying to get our name out there and see where it goes,” she said. “I thought the trailer was a perfect match for us. I did research and designed the outside. I wanted to cultivate a different experience and make it stand out with the green and pink.”
Burlen’s dream is to one day have a café or perhaps start another food trailer.
“For now, we’re getting our feet wet,” she said. “ Our goal is to make fresh, nourishing food more accessible for everyone.”
Know of a new business in Monroe County? Email the information to reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Nature’s Nomad: Driven to offer healthy food options in Monroe County
Reporting by Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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