After working for ten years in traditional catering, a French chef launched his concept of mobile restaurant and crosses the country to meet his customers and local flavors.
“I took the ten years of restoration that I did and removed everything that I didn’t like. I did what I wanted to reflect in my cooking”, emphasizes Loïs Desfarges, owner of Loïs Bus.
After years of working as a sous-chef in Quebec, he was looking for more contact with customers. He also wanted to offer a pressure-free service and choose every ingredient on the menu.
It was in March 2020 that he bought a school bus and undertook six months of work to transform it into a mobile restaurant equipped with a professional kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom.
He did the carpentry, electrical and plumbing himself after watching “thousands and thousands” of videos.
The 26-year-old cook lives on the bus year-round, since the vehicle is completely autonomous thanks to solar panels and adequate insulation for the winter.
He now travels to several regions such as Saguenay, Gaspésie and Estrie to agricultural producers or customers. It uses local and seasonal ingredients and welcomes groups in a heated bubble.
He is currently at the Cité Agricole in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, where he has developed a menu using local ingredients such as squash and maple.
To change life
“At one point I was a little tired of doing six to seven days a week 70 hour weeks and working in a basement. I wanted to travel, discover Quebec and have my own business,” explains the man who settled here six years ago.
Mr. Desfarges gave up on salary stability in favor of “quality of life”. He works for himself and can change his menu as he sees fit, in addition to being in contact with his customers.
“I love it so much and it’s such a passion that I don’t feel like I’m working,” he says.
Reference-www.journaldequebec.com