It’s a straightforward name bringing forward a straightforward product.
The VanLandschoot & Sons, Inc. food truck has anchored at Hillside Party Store in western Munising. A bright green trailer offers fish, prepared with a little seasoning instead of full-bodied coatings.
“Our blend is really simple with a dusting on the fish instead of heavy batters. We think the idea is to eat the fish and not the coating,” said VSI President Dennis VanLandschoot.
The menu features whitefish, cod and walleye, usually served with fries and coleslaw. Wraps are added as a special from time to time, but the focus for the food truck is the fish. A variant of the farm-to-table dining movement, all the fish is caught by the company as VSI looks for ways to stay relevant and productive in the commercial fishing industry.
“We’ve been wanting to get into this type of business for years, but the challenge of that is finding the resources and the right people to get it together,” VanLandschoot said. “We used to take the fish and put it on a truck and then it would go to the different places. If I take it and filet it and add some french fries, it’s a way for us to continue our existence.”
With the location choice, it’s another strong water-related business in western Munising. It puts multiple fish markets and food trucks in the area along with the access points for pontoon rentals, a boat launch and multiple cruise companies.
VanLandschoot said that it has been approached to go to different locations in town, but cited his good relationship with Hillside owner Tom Dolaskie as the “path of least resistance” to getting the food truck up and running.
Starting in the next couple of weeks, the truck will implement a local donation program to benefit different causes in the area. Five percent of each week’s business will be donated to various charities. VanLandschoot said that the charities are still to be determined and that any local groups wanting to be added to the schedule can contact Kelly Dore at 250-9524.
The truck is also in discussion to go up to Grand Marais for the Grand Marais Music and Art Festival in mid August. Other trips for various events in the area are also in the discussion phase, according to VanLandschoot.
