East Hastings Pop-Up Venue Gives Local Food Truck Owners a Taste of Restaurant Ownership with 24-Hour Brick & Mortar Takeover Series

From four wheels to four walls, The Local Omnivore food truck will be hosting its first brick-and-mortar dining experience this Friday as part of the 337 Series, a pop-up restaurant concept in East Vancouver. Known for its ethically sourced meat and cauliflower “hot wing” sandwich, The Local Omnivore’s burger operations will take over the pop-up space for one night only this Friday, March 27th at 337 East Hastings Street.

“The 337 Series gives us the opportunity to test our concept without taking on the huge financial risks associated with trading in our mobile vending permit for a fixed-term lease,” says Fouad Farraj, co-owner and chef at The Local Omnivore. “Our vision and ultimate goal is to open a brick and mortar restaurant – having access to a full kitchen and dining room gives us the testing ground we need.”

This Friday night’s menu special will feature a cheeseburger, home-cut fries and a beer for $15. All meat served at the pop-up will come from Blue Goose farm in Pemberton. Seating is first come, first served, and product is available until it sells out – doors open at 5:30pm and early arrivals are recommended. “Adding the house-smoked bacon is also highly recommended,” Farraj adds.

The 337 Series is a unique pop-up restaurant concept intended to act as a restaurant incubator for a number of different restaurant chefs, local food trucks, bars and dining concepts. Run by Christina Cottell and her partner Shoel Davidson, The 337 Series will offer a home for pop-up concepts until the venue takes on a permanent identity as Dixie’s, an Austin-style, central Texan BBQ joint, slated to open in mid to late September.

“We have a space that is perfect for testing a restaurant concept from idea to execution without the massive risk of buying a brick and mortar,” says Christina Cottell, co-founder of Gringo Gastown, The 337 Series and Dixie. “After 14 years running a marketing and development agency for restaurants, and now being a proud owner of Gringo, I am wholly dedicated to the idea of mentoring new up-and-coming restaurateurs in Vancouver.”

Cottell and Davidson offer more than 30 years of hospitality experience, from business acumen in marketing, branding, menu development, HR and business plans, to concept development and design.

“Even if you don’t execute a menu, we love talking about ideas, the state of the industry and what’s coming next. We’re lucky to call some of the industry’s most valuable resources our friends, and are happy to extend the knowledge those friendships offer to anyone willing to buy us a beer and give us a pitch,” says Christina.

The Local Omnivore hit the streets of Vancouver in October 2014 and serves its revolving, seasonal menu in Mount Pleasant and Railtown. The food truck’s philosophy is simple: providing customers with delicious food that’s ethically sourced from local suppliers.

The Local Omnivore Burger Pop-Up:
When: Friday, March 27th from 5:30pm to late
Where: 337 E. Hastings, East Vancouver
Instagram: @localomnivoreyvr