Boshkung Brewing’s Terri Mathews said they’d like to install a food truck or trailer at Boshkung Social on Water Street in Minden but want the township to first amend its bylaw.
Mathews, appearing at an April 25 Minden Hills council meeting, said they’d invested more than $250,000 in the business and have had two successful seasons, with a third coming up.
“We believe we have brought numerous customers into the downtown core and created a great deal of excitement in Minden,” she said.
She added they have a social media following of more than 20,000 and “happily” post about #myhaliburtonhighlands on a regular basis.
However, she said they have limited space in the location and have been unable to add a kitchen. Last season, they had a tent set up serving hot food as well as cold snacks.
However, she said the situation was not always ideal as weather could be dangerous for staff.
“We would like to install a food truck or trailer to use for the summer months only.” However, she said the bylaw presently is that you must get permission from any other food service provider within 1,000 feet.
She said her research has found that Algonquin Highlands has no such requirement and Dysart et al requires a 30m setback from another food service provider.
“We would like to ask that this bylaw be amended to read 100 feet instead of the current 1,000 feet,” she said.
Mathews told councillors the bylaw was “a little bit out of whack” and “definitely different.”
She said she even wondered if there had been a typo. She added they wanted to open something in good taste and “not have to get permission from the entire town of Minden.”
She added that they hoped to one day take over the LCBO building on Water Street.
Mayor Brent Devolin said it was a 17-year-old bylaw. He said he did not know the logic behind the 1,000 feet but that the intent of bylaws is always to treat everybody fairly.
He said there would be a report from staff coming back to council. Earlier this year, the company announced on its Facebook page that long-time Haliburton County cottagers John Watts and Jost Rittershaus have purchased an interest in Boshkung Brewing Co.
“The addition of these dynamic men will allow Boshkung to increase job creation and guide the company to greater growth and prosperity,” the post said. It added, “We are currently expanding both locations which will be finished this spring. We are adding new brew systems, retail space and tasting rooms to both locations and we will now be able to sell retail beer out of the new brewery in Minden, at 20 Water Street.”
