LAKE CITY — A solar-powered food truck. — Indigo Açaí Bowls — is making its way around Southeast Minnesota.
After a trip to Arizona in 2021, Willie and Nancy Rauen decided their new dream was to open an açaí shop together. The couple had first learned about açaí bowls from Nancy’s son, Josh Drackley, after he took a trip to Florida and tried it there.
Prior to trying it, the couple had no idea what an açaí bowl was. Açaí bowls are made from an açaí base with a variety of different toppings like granola, fruits, coconut oil, honey and more.
Their curiosity led them to try it while they were vacationing in Sedona, Arizona, and ended up having it four days in a row.
“On one of the days as we were eating, we looked at each other and I said this would be a good thing to start in Rochester,” Willie Rauen said. “At the time, Rochester didn’t have one.”
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At first, the couple wanted to open a brick and mortar store but the costs for renting a building in Rochester were too expensive, so they decided to pursue a food truck instead.
Willie, a former math teacher, and Nancy, a physical therapist, began seriously looking around before finding a food truck for auction in Canada in 2022. Willie won the auction and set out to drive the truck back from Montreal, Canada.
The trip back had its ups and downs. Willie had all the paperwork ready to cross the border at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. He got there around 1 a.m. after driving through Canada in one day and crossing the border only took 20 minutes. However, the truck began having some transmission problems about an hour into the trip and Willie was scared the truck was going to break down. Luckily, it was a minor issue that was able to be fixed.
Then last August, the couple took the truck up to the cities to Chameleon Concessions in Minneapolis. The company redid the walls, floors, refrigeration and more before returning the truck to the Rauens in March.
This allowed for Indigo Açaí Bowls to official make it's debut on June 1, for the Third Annual Zumbrota Block Party.
Prior to taking it to the Cities, Willie was debating on what to do with the generator. He ended up finding a company in Seattle who specializes in eco-friendly solar powered batteries.
“I found a company in Seattle called Joule Case and I contacted them and talked to them about batteries and solar power,” Willie said. “So we switched from using a generator to battery powered.”
The truck runs on five solar-powered batteries. When the sun isn’t out for a long period of time, the batteries charge electronically and they don’t have to be fully charged for the food truck to be running all day.
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In addition to being solar powered, Indigo Açaí Bowls uses all compostable materials to try to be as eco-friendly as possible.
Indigo Açaí Bowls also uses a soft serve açaí base instead of hand scooped like ice cream. They opted for a soft serve to eliminate any of the icy textures that can happen with the other variety. They have a soft serve machine in the back of the truck that makes set up very efficient. It starts at the back with the base and then moves to the toppings and ingredients before making its way to the window.
Indigo Açaí Bowls offers 10 customizable bowls for customers. Almost all the names of its bowls have a Minnesota theme and were inspired by the bowls the couple tried down in Arizona. In addition to the bowl options, the bowls come in three sizes and two granolas. One is a standard granola, but the other is a gluten-free and vegan option so the truck can make something for everyone’s dietary needs.
The one truly unique bowl they had was an idea from Josh Drackley who thought a peanut butter and jelly flavor would be delicious.
Josh and his sister Laura work with their parents with the truck. Josh helps out in the truck with his parents and Laura does all the scheduling and social media work. She also helps out in the truck when she can. Even though it can be more stressful at times to work with family members, Indigo Açaí Bowls makes it work while enjoying the time together.
Throughout the summer, Indigo Açaí Bowls will be in a variety of places. They are in downtown Rochester every Monday and Tuesday. The truck is also at the Lake City Farmers Market on Thursday mornings, but the truck rotates around on the other days of the week. It will also be at a variety of events throughout the summer like Gold Rush Days in Oronoco, River City Days in Red Wing, outdoor concerts and more. The best way to know where the truck will be is to check Facebook. Laura posts where the truck will be throughout the week every Sunday.
Even though it hasn’t been easy to get to where they are, the couple is excited to finish this first season and continue learning and growing along the way.
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