Wagga food van trial: Badger and Hound Coffee sees high demand during first shift outside Kapooka Army Base

Badger and Hound Coffee owner and operator Ursula Digregorio put in her first shift as part of the five-month trial on Thursday morning.

Ms Digregorio was being kept busy when The Daily Advertiser visited her van outside Kapooka Army Base, with Australian Defence Force personnel and Fire and Rescue workers lining up for iced coffees.

“I got smashed,” she said.

Ms Digregorio said she had always wanted to set up her coffee van next to Kapooka but Wagga lacked the legal framework to do so until councillors voted late last year to support the trial.

“I was super surprised that Wagga didn’t have food vans when I moved here from Darwin,” she said.

“I’m really excited that the council has supported a food van trial as it helps activate public spaces and encourage tourism.”

Wagga council will run the ‘Mobile Food Vehicle trial’, which began on January 1, until May 30.

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As of Tuesday, seven vendors had been approved for the trial, including established ‘bricks and mortar’ business Kito's Coffee and Global Dining.

‘Lucid Kombi Cafe’ coffee and ‘What the Pop’ ice cream vans are expected to start operating in Wagga next week.

Ms Digregorio said she would continue operating weekdays at Kapooka and might open for weekends at Lake Albert.

“I won’t open when there’s a Lakeside Market, as they already have a coffee stall,” she said.

“Respecting the established businesses is very important.”

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