Burgers. Cupcakes. Tacos. Liquids had to find their way in somehow.
This past July, Zulayka Santiago ushered in mobile liquids with her Liberacion Juice Station truck. Only on the roads since July, the newest addition to the mobile food scene stands in stark contrast to Daisy Cake’s retro Airstream trailer and the simple OnlyBurger truck. Santiago’s aqua mini-school bus is speckled with colored spots, emblazoned with text like “Juice for Joy” and decked out with a pair of red wings.
“I think most people who know me would describe me as bright, colorful and fun. So it’s an extension of who I am and what I want to bring to this world,” Santiago said.
Santiago came into mobile food looking to fill a void in the Triangle dining scene. But she wants to bring more than fruit juice to the world. Coming from a background in non-profits, she said her vision is to make Liberacion Juice a community fixture. Much of the produce comes from local co-ops and the truck runs on biodiesel from Piedmont Biofuels.
“This business is an opportunity for me to do business differently,” Santiago said. “It means looking at my impact overall on my community and this planet—not just looking at profit margins as a measure for success.”
Santiago, who is still working part-time in the non-profit sector during the week, said Liberacion Juice will remain a weekend-only venture for the time being. But in the future, she would like to have a permanent retail location. Until then, it’s muscadine grape juice and fig smoothies from the bus.
Liberacion Juice Station is at the Durham Farmers’ Market Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit www.liberacionjuicestation.com.
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