Six years ago, Kim and Rob Hicks of Grande Prairie, Alberta took a vacation.
They drove to the Okanagan Valley for the very first time in their lives and spent two weeks camping in their fifth wheel.
A year later they returned, this time for three weeks.
And Kim and Rob were hooked.
Right away they knew they had to kiss off their current lives in the Albertan oil and gas industry and start anew as semi-retirees in the Okanagan.
Their plan of action didn’t take long to formulate. They'd sell most of their stuff and leave their long-time home and careers behind, get in their fifth wheel and return to the Okanagan for good.
And open up a food truck.
Sound improbable? Then get a load of this. They actually followed through on all of the above and today operate the food truck they said they would.
Where? Why, on the streets of pretty little Keremeos. You know, where practically no one's ever based a food truck before.
And that's not all. Their business, called "Hixzee's Gourmet Street Food Truck," serving up what can best be described as North American street food, currently packs a lofty 4.9-star rating at Google Reviews.
That's not surprising given our experience. The "Bacon Jam Smash Burger and Fries" we tried when we visited Hixzee's last week – a generous burger with a sauce made from Rob's own sweet/sour/spicy homemade "bacon jam" recipe – was glorious. It's hard to define, but it had that old-timey burger taste we remember from back in the day.
We gobbled down half immediately and saved the other half for a roadside stop at the Yellow Lake wharf on our way back to Penticton.
By the time we were finished, we were stuffed. And happy.
"It took us longer than we wanted to make it all happen," said Kim last week, standing just outside the truck they had custom made in 2022, now freshly repainted with a mod new pattern for 2024.
"COVID hit and everything stopped. But we've been here for nearly two and a half years now. This will be our third year with the food truck."
The biggest hurdle was finding a place to live. They wanted to rent a spot for their fifth wheel while they looked for a more permanent spot to purchase. But it wasn't so easy.
"We came here to stay for winter and see where we wanted to go," said Kim. "But we couldn't find anywhere to rent. So we had to buy."
They ultimately grabbed a lot at Riverside RV Park Resort, 13 kilometers west of Keremeos on the banks of the Similkameen River. It’s a pretty setting and they're absolutely content, even with the Crater Creek wildfire evacuation orders of last August.
And as for that food truck concept? Turns out it wasn't as wild as it seemed. Rob, you see, spent 13 years as a chef before getting into the oil and gas biz.
"I got my chef papers in 1990 in Yellowknife," he told us while putting together another meal. "I started out washing dishes at a perogy house and I went to the Yellowknife Inn when the cook didn’t show up on time and took over from there."
He'd ultimately work in the restaurant trade from 1984 through '97. And he's particularly proud of the time one of his restaurants, Winnipeg's Tap and Grill, was featured in Air Canada's respected enRoute Magazine as one of Manitoba's "Top Ten Eateries."
As for their relationship, let's just say it seemed like destiny.
They grew up together in Deer Lake, Newfoundland. In fact, said Rob, they just recently found photos of the two of them in their kindergarten class.
They dated for a short time while in high school, but went their separate ways after graduation. Then in 1992, Rob moved back to Deer Lake and they soon realized they were meant to be.
They were married in '94.
"She's my high school sweetheart," Rob said with smile.
But today, it's all about their new Okanagan life. And their food truck, which they re-opened for 2024 in late January.
When we dropped by last week, they were comfortably set up in their usual spot – just off the sidewalk in the parking lot of Back Country Auto Electric at 604 7th Ave. in downtown Keremeos.
"They’re good friends," said Kim. "They're really great people."
We asked them to name their personal menu favourites and they both rattled off the "Smash Burger," which consists of two 100% beef patties, cheese, fried onions, lettuce & tomatoes and "Hixzee's Special Sauce."
There are several variants of the Smash Burger, including our memorable Bacon Jam version.
Rob seemed particularly enamoured with a new creation, the "Cheesey Peach," a hot dog dressed up with cream cheese and peach salsa. (!)
Other faves include the barbecued chicken tacos, the carnitas tacos and the Friday fish and chips special.
"We sell out every time," said Rob of the latter. "It's $20 for two pieces and $15 for one. That's cod loins too."
Everything that can be done in-house is, they say. They smoke their own meats, they make their own sauces and they create their own seasonings.
The latter has been so successful that they package varieties of it and sell those packages not only at the truck but also at fruit stands and wineries throughout the region.
From now through early April, you'll find the Hixzee's Gourmet Street Food Truck most often at its usual Back Country Auto Electric location.
But it does move around. Last week, for example, it was temporarily stationed near the Lower Similkameen Indian Band Office, just south of Cawston on Hwy 3.
And especially at this time of year when business is light, it'll be open for limited days and limited hours.
"That's what I love about the food truck," said Kim. "We can work our hours and go where we want to go. But our schedule is always posted on Facebook and Instagram."
Starting in April, the truck will also begin making road trips to festivals and happenings throughout the interior. In prior years, they've worked events as far away as Kamloops and Rossland.
But before that though, Kim and Rob are taking a little break. That break starts on Tuesday, Feb 20. But they return to action Saturday, March 9.
For up-to-date info on Hixzee's Gourmet Street Food Truck, including its schedule and menu, check out its Facebook page here and Instagram page here.
