Superb Bowl Sundae / We're Committing to Be 100% Vegan
It’s official! We are past the halfway mark in our Kickstarter campaign, and with over fifty backers behind us, Milky Way Shakes is well on its way to becoming a reality. Thank you again to everyone who has shown their support for us thus far in our campaign, and on social media! We will always remember your kindness. :)
In our last post, we posed the question of whether or not we should become a completely vegan business. After reading everyone’s feedback on social media and thinking things over, we at Milky Way Shakes have decided to commit to using only vegan ingredients in our kitchen! We were already planning on having a primarily vegan menu, but since we have received so much support from the vegan community, we’d like to give back by creating a menu that *everyone* can enjoy.
From Rachel:
We’ve had a productive weekend here in the Durham, NC test kitchen. My dad and I have been working together to churn out lots of vegan ice cream bases, taking detailed measurements and recording our flavorful findings along the way. After much trial and error, our vanilla and chocolate bases are perfect. They are tasty on their own, and ready to be mixed up into shakes! We also put together a soul-warming vegan salted caramel sauce, which is not only insanely delicious, but made our whole kitchen smell like a buttery toasted coconut!
Yesterday, we brought our first batch of vegan chocolate ice cream over to our Superbowl gathering, and the whole family was amazed at the depth and richness of flavor! My mother, who grew up in Wisconsin and eats a bowl of ice cream every day, was even impressed, which for me was the ultimate test. Our Panthers may not have taken home the trophy, but my chocolate base was winning last night!
-
From Moni:
In the meantime I’ve been in New Orleans with my bands Minor Mishap and Dead Music Capitol Band! Being here with a brass band for Mardi Gras has been absolutely magical. I’ve been surrounded by amazing music and food the entire time (my two favorite things). February is a busy month for us, but it’s my favorite kind of busy to be. Between my bands and planning for Milky Way Shakes, it’s been a whirlwind.
Upon my return to Austin, I’ll be diving back into the search for the perfect trailer. What exactly are we looking for? Something small, without an engine, and preferably already outfitted with basic plumbing and electricity. My experience running a restaurant out of the back of a big rig has helped me understand the advantages of differently sized workspaces. A smaller truck will be easier to maintain and draw fewer resources; though extra space in a kitchen is nice to have, we prefer something compact and easy to manage. We are also looking for a food trailer, not a food truck. We do not plan on moving the truck regularly, since maintaining an engine can be more trouble than it’s worth.
-
Overall, we are feeling confident, because a good shake is really all about that base, and our vegan vanilla and chocolate bases are on point. From here we will be building up a space to serve them in, as well as further developing a creative menu with scratch-made syrups, sauces, compotes, whipped cream, toppings, and mix-ins. All vegan, of course!
If you love what we’re doing, help us out by contributing to our Kickstarter campaign, and tell your friends about us! We can’t make it happen without you.
Best,
Rachel and Moni
