Canela Mobile Mexican Cafe

Seattle, WA

https://www.canelamexicafe.com/

Canela Mobile Mexican Café is not just a food truck; it's a journey into the heart of authentic Mexican flavors and traditions. With a curated selection of coffee, beverages, and desserts, Canela celebrates the rich tapestry of Mexican culture, all while fostering a deep connection with its community.

28k

WATT-HOURS

13k/26k

WATTS/PEAK WATTS

44,760

ANNUAL CO2 EMISSIONS SAVED

$37,175

5-Year Savings

$87,262

10-year Savings

OWNER(S)

Melissa Quezada

YEAR FOUNDED

2023

WHY DID YOU START A FOOD TRUCK?

I started a food truck because I wanted to be able to share my culture through food.

WHAT'S ON YOUR FOOD TRUCK MENU? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CUISINE?

I'm a Mexican-American from Southern California, and down there you'll find a lot of Mexican cafes that offer a lot of different things like Mexican pastries, Mexican coffees, and churros. There's nothing like that up here in the Pacific Northwest. I wanted to bring some of that here and share it with everyone in our community.

WHAT'S THE BEST PART OF BEING A FOOD TRUCK OPERATOR?

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH JOULE CASE AND YOUR NEW BATTERY SYSTEM?

It was definitely a higher upfront cost, but I'm going to make that up super fast by not having to buy fuel, not having to maintain a generator. The other benefit is that there are very many events that prefer you to come because you have a battery system that keeps it quiet. You're not polluting. I've heard from many customers that it actually takes away from the experience when they're having to shout over a generator and also breathe in that fuel.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR TRUCK/MENU?

Our truck is named La Flor after the song, Como La Flor, by none other than Selena Quintanilla. So that's what we call her La Flor. And you'll find the pink, turquoise, yellow, those colors throughout our branding that are really commonly seen throughout Mexican art. And we just love bright, colorful things that are going to attract people and also stand out from the crowd. There are a lot of food trucks around here, but we wanted something that would be visually attractive and appealing to the customers.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANOTHER FOOD TRUCK OWNER/OPERATOR?

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE TO USE JOULE CASE AND A BATTERY SYSTEM TO POWER YOUR OPERATION?

When I first started working with my food truck builder, he brought it to my attention that there is actually an option for batteries to run my equipment. I did not know that was even an option. I thought I was going to have to use a generator like everyone else. And although it is an emerging technology in the food truck business, I decided to go for it because of all the very many benefits.