New food truck, snack bar at this Bellingham nursery also helps raise money for good cause
A local garden nursery is making sure that customers are well fed as it raises money for an important cause.
A food truck called The Purple Flamingo Cafe will open Friday, April 15, at My Garden Nursery. The nursery, which is at 929 E. Bakerview Road, has been in Bellingham since 2015.
The food truck will offer a menu that includes panini sandwiches called Flaminis, soups, salads, charcuterie, coffee and fresh blueberry smoothie drinks. It is managed by chef Ted Aspinall, formerly owner of Kathryn Taylor Chocolates on Orcas Island.
While fun to look at, the purple flamingos also highlight a cause that is close to Jenny Gunderson, co-owner of My Garden Nursery and the Purple Flamingo Cafe. Since first opening My Garden Nursery in the Seattle area in 2006, she’s raised more than $100,000 for Dementia Support NW, formerly The Alzheimer’s Society. Both of her parents died from Alzheimer’s, so she is continuing her support to find a cure by donating money through her businesses each month.
Establishing a food presence at the nursery has been in the works for some time. A lack of infrastructure has prevented Gunderson from putting in a permanent cafe, so she opted for a food truck. Gunderson and co-owner Bill Raynolds are also working on plans to establish a snack bar inside the nursery, which should be ready by this summer.
Gunderson said in a telephone interview that having food available is something customers have asked for, giving them a chance to sip on coffee or munch on a snack as they ponder the selection of trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables while wandering around the property.
So far, this spring it hasn’t been as busy as last year, when more people were staying home and working on landscaping during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this spring has still been busier than the pre-pandemic years, as customers continue to maintain the work they did during the height of the pandemic.
“It’s great to have customers coming in and talking about plants. They are just eating up all the garden information they can,” said Gunderson.
Once open, hours for The Purple Flamingo Cafe are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Further details about the nursery can be found on its website.
This story was originally published April 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
