It's been operating in the same location since 2020.
Best Vegan Food Truck back in 2013
, isn’t new to overcoming hurdles. Since purchasing the van from former owner Amie Arias in 2015, Gurule and her partner, Justin Warner, have fought for their small business’ success, leaning on the community in hard times. First, in the summer of 2018, when their '86 Chevy Hi-Cube food truck, nicknamed. Through a GoFundMe, the duo raised over $9,000 to help purchase and install a rebuilt engine.
Then, there was the pandemic. “We probably should’ve just let everyone file for unemployment and used our time to collect as much help as possible. But we didn’t,” says Gurule. She adds that the Steele Street and East 28th Avenue location made it possible to “keep our staff employed — although we haven’t paid ourselves since June of 2020.”, calling on the community to help her business weather this latest obstacle. On her page, she outlines four scenarios, three of which are solutions.
For more than a decade, Vegan Van has proven to even the most carnivorous Denverite that plant-based food can be downright indulgent. The establishment is known for its play on popular fast food items, rotating through meatless menus that mirror entrees from Taco Bell, Arby’s and McDonald’s — think “beef” n’ cheddar sliders featuring house-made seitan, “chicken” fries, loaded crunchwraps and dairy-free gorditas.