If you want a coffee or a bite to eat while in Chiles Industrial Park, you’d better have a vehicle and some time.
“The closest we found was 2 1/2 km away,” said Thomas Shipley of the nearest options — a service station and a car wash.
That inspired him and his common-law wife, Sheryl Chiles, to propose a solution, in the form of a 1973 Winnebago. They’ve received approval from Red Deer city council to park the motorhome in Chiles Industrial Park and serve food and beverages there.
Slated to operate as Walter’s Coffee Now — with the name derived from the couple’s pet boxer — the orange Winnebago will boast a commercial-quality kitchen, said Shipley.
Sandwiches, hamburgers and homemade soup will be among its staples, with a feature soup and hot entree also available each day.
A breakfast sandwich will consist of an English muffin, hashbrowns, bacon or sausage, an egg and cheese.
“I’m pretty confident that there’s nobody else in town doing a breakfast sandwich like us.”
Walter’s Coffee Now will also serve Keurig coffee and other drinks, and prepare bag lunches for customers.
“We want to start with a basic keep-it-simple menu,” said Shipley. “But if people are asking for something, the answer’s always yes.”
Special features at Walter’s Coffee Now will include an exterior barbecue and a 40-inch flatscreen TV that patrons will be able to watch from an outside seating area next to the motorhome. Orders will be processed electronically using an iPad, with Shipley’s vision that customers will eventually be able to order remotely from their smartphones or tablets.
“Our web designer is working on that app right now.”
Shipley is aware of another Winnebago being used in a similar fashion in the United States, but said the conversion of his from RV to diner has required significant work.
“I would say I’ve got 300 hours into it right now and probably another 200 to go in the next two weeks.”
He hopes to be operating by mid-October, with the business’s anticipated hours 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Shipley has calculated that some 250 people work in Chiles Industrial Park, which is owned by Sheryl Chiles’ parents, Norm and Margaret. Many more pass by the park each day, he noted.
Although Walter’s Coffee Now won’t move from its spot, Shipley hopes to introduce smaller mobile units next year that will travel to public events. His longer term plan is to open a restaurant in a building.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com