Hungry folks looking for a free meal during the month of August trailed the sweet smell of pulled-pork and Scott Geddes in the Cocoa Pesto Bistro’s bright green ‘urban catering response’ van.
Who doesn’t want a free lunch?
Windsor business owner enjoys street catering “just for the fun of it”
BY NADINE ARMSTRONG
The Hants Journal
NovaNewsNow.com
It may go against the average business model, however, when one local business owner started handing out free sandwiches on the street, people couldn’t help but notice.
During the month of August, delectable pulled-pork sandwiches tempted passersby in Brooklyn, Hantsport and Windsor, including the industrial parks. Theirs was not to wonder why, but many people couldn’t help but ask, “Who is that guy, anyway?”
The answer was Scott Geddes, owner of the Cocoa Pesto Bistro in Windsor.
What started as a lark turned quickly into good business as many sandwich recipients turned up at the Bistro that month to check out the full meal deal.
The idea was born during the Mud Creek Festival in Wolfville. Geddes turned up at the event bright and early to sell his wares. He soon realized he had left his cashbox behind. “I only had about $6 in my pocket,” he said.. “There was nothing else to do but give ‘em away.”
He said the decision wasn’t popular with other vendors, but the free sandwiches were gobbled up in less than two hours.
“It was crazy, but fun. We couldn’t pass them out fast enough.” Since then a lot of customers have come to the Bistro just because they enjoyed the sandwich.
Seeing the positive response, the concept took off. Geddes hit the road in his green “Urban Catering Response Unit” van and people began to watch for it and the sandwiches.
During the Sam Slick Festival, Geddes said they passed out 225 free pulled-porks, making the final giveaway total well over a thousand for the month of August. “We’ve had so many people come to the Bistro and say they had always intended to stop in, and now they have,” Geddes said.
