Does Speed Really Matter?

Does Speed Really Matter?

Cars serve as more than basic transportation for people. This is a reason why there are so many manufacturers and multiple models produced by a given manufacturer. Toyota makes cars that range in size from that of a Smart Car (the iQ) to a full size SUV that can accomodate 7 people in the Sequoia. The engine sizes range from small in displacement and output to incredibly powerful and built to achieve high speeds, cornering manuevers and other driving feats. For many people the commute to and from work is part of their daily process.

Speed is defined as relative rapidity in moving or going. My question is does speed really matter when you are battling gridlock on a highway such as I-25? You can have a V-8 engine with 550 horsepower but need to merge in with the other guy who's piloting a 4 cylinder Subaru with 170 horsepower. In this case the performance numbers don't matter as the power of a vehicle makes minimal difference in how quickly one driver reacts to the other. There may be the "I'm not letting you in" mentality (I admit to having done that before) but eventually lanes end and the person in the merge lane will have to get over one way or another.

Speed does matter if you're drag racing at Bandimere in Morrison, CO or a professional race car driver; however, that's not what I'm talking about.

In my opinion people follow the speed limit at their discretion. If you're in a hurry to get somewhere you may go 5-10+miles per hour (mph) above the limit. However, it is common to hit the brakes if you see a police car/motorcycle or one of those lovely photo radar vans.

So, does speed really matter?

Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

A Tale of Two Denver Food Trucks

A Tale of Two Food Trucks

Denver has seen rapid growth of food trucks as they have become popular all across the country. The Food Network had a show The Great Food Truck Race that pitted food trucks against each other in multiple towns and cities across the United States.  It is exciting and enticing that many trucks are serving cuisine as good as well established restaurants. Food trucks are used for many purposes as some complement existing food establishments while others allow entrepreneurs and cooking enthusiasts to run a business without the costs of a permanent storefront. For this post I decided to interview the owners of two food trucks who are based in Denver. They differ from each other in that Uber Sausage has a food truck in addition to a physical restaurant whereas Solar Roast on the Road was started because this allowed the owners to run a business without the additional expense of an actual location.

Uber Sausage started in 2011 as a restaurant based upon the desire of three friends (Alex Gschwend, Brad Arguello and Henry DeMatteis) who are originally from Denver. I recently had a chance to interview Alex, whose grandfather (originally from Switzerland) introduced his family to the Swiss sausage and was the reason behind Uber Sausage. I spoke with Alex about why the business has added a food truck in addition to their restaurant on

2730 East Colfax Avenue

in East Denver.

Please note that J will refer to Jesse; A for Alex; N for Nathan

J: Why did Uber Sausage decide to add a food truck in addition to your location on Colfax?

A: The reason we have a food truck is because it allows us to get food to new people and new places while helping to build our brand and increase our market share in Colorado.

J: How do you choose your locations?

A: We choose locations by partnering up with specific businesses, like breweries and we also do a lot of summer festivals and events, like Civic Center Eats. Sometimes it is by trial and error by going to an event and determining afterwards as to whether it is worth us attending again.

J: What is unique about food truck owners? 

A: I think one thing that makes food truck owners and operators unique is that there is a general camaraderie amongst all of them and they are always willing to help each other out. It is almost a family in that sense. 

J: What is the most popular item on your menu?

A:The most popular item goes back and forth between The Swiss and the Colorado Buffalo.

J: How does Uber Sausage give back to Denver and the surrounding communities?

A: We give back to the community by providing food to numerous charities and sponsoring a number of East High teams, like the Robotics and the Rugby team. 

For more information about Uber Sausage check them out at

www.theubersausage.com or http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheUberSausage

Solar Roast on the Road also started in 2011 as the idea of two

longtime Denver friends, Nathan Stern and Chris Bass. I met Nathan at a networking event and was immediately interested when he told me he ran a coffee truck. I love coffee and hadn’t heard of many food trucks that specialized in coffee. In addition, as the name implies Nathan and Chris utilize solar panel on their truck, which is very unique in the food truck industry.

J: Why a food truck?

N: We started off aiming for a coffee shop with a board games theme, but for our first business we wanted to start with something more agile, that would allow us to try a wide variety of possibilities.  We saw the growing popularity of food trucks in the Denver area, and we thought that a truck would provide us the variety and flexibility we wanted.

J: Why did you decide to use solar panels?

N: Mike and Dave Hartkop started Solar Roast Coffee in 2005, becoming the only roaster in the world to use solar power to roast their coffee beans.  We were looking for a roaster to use for our coffee shop, and when we decided to do a truck instead of a shop we approached Mike and Dave to see if we could use their branding, to introduce Solar Roast Coffee to the Denver market.  We love what they are doing with solar panels, and they are also great people with great plans for the future, so we are honored to be representing the Solar Roast Coffee brand here in Denver.

J: What do the panels power in the truck?

N: On our truck, our solar panels power all of our equipment except our espresso machine, which includes refrigerator, blender, grinders, microwave, cash register, pumps, etc.

J: How did you choose the locations you go to?

N: We initially decided to target office buildings to vend coffee, and we started with the first buildings of an acceptable size who were excited to have us at their building.  We are realizing now that we want a greater diversity of locations, which includes college campuses, public festivals and private events.

J: What is unique about food truck owners/operators?

N: The camaraderie among food truck owners is what sets this community apart.  We often sell at the same locations, which puts us in direct competition with each other frequently.  While everyone wants to do a good business, we also want to help each other out to make sure the community remains vibrant.   Whether it is booking shared events, cross promoting, or helping out with the (frequent) mechanical problems that trucks experience, the level of collaboration among trucks is extraordinary.  We always say that some of the best food in Denver is served in trucks, and it is wonderful that the operators are great people, in addition to having a great product.

J: What is the most popular drink people order?

N: Our two signature drinks are our Pueblo Mocha, which is four shots of espresso and cayenne pepper in addition to espresso, milk and chocolate. The other is our Filbert Mocha, which is a combination of espresso, milk, chocolate, caramel and hazelnut.  We find that people want to try drinks that they can't find anywhere else, so those drinks are our most popular.  As you might expect, most people want our drinks iced or blended during the summer.

J: How do you give back to the community?

N: We have been a part of many great community events, but we are most proud of our partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.  We are sponsoring their Young Professionals builds, providing the volunteers with coffee and then volunteering for the builds ourselves whenever possible.  In addition, we are beginning a project to build a solar roaster down in Haiti, since many people there can't afford energy costs for roasting from conventional sources.  We'll move forward on that project later in the year! 

For more information on Solar Roast On the Road check them out at

http://www.facebook.com/#!/SolarRoastOntheRoad

California car cutlure

My name is Jesse Blum and I have been a fan of cars my entire life. My first word was Yamaha, which isn't specific to cars but easy to remember and to say: Y A M A H A. I love the sound of engines revving, the smoke from tires burning and the adrenaline as a turbocharger kicks in as you drive down the road. Since cars were first invented there have been multitudes of manufacturers and more model names than you can remember (unless you are a contestant in the National spelling bee or have a photographic memmory) As I venture into the automotive industry and my career as an automotive broker with H.M. Brown and Associates a shameless plug I know! I want to share thoughts, insight and other people's passion and experience with their cars, trucks and other types of vehicles. My first entry is an interview I did with a California native, EK, who is passionate about cars. While people love their cars in Colorado Californians are car crazy. There are far more people driving around with aftermarket rims,body kits and other modified parts on their cars. Perhaps it's the generally sunny weather of California but car culture has an entirely different feel than most other states. The answers are those of EK to the questions I have asked. What does car culture mean in CA? Why is it different than other states? To me, the car culture in California is all about people coming together as a result of their common interest to share adventures, stories and their appreciation for automobiles. There is a camaraderie created between many different types of people based on their love of cars and driving.Car culture is huge in Califonia but represents different things to different people. There is definitely a bit of the "Hollywood influence" throughout the state and because of this I feel like there is a slight bias towards import (Japanese and European) cars. The beauty is that there is a niche within the California Car Scene for everyone depending on their specific interests. The spectrum is vast given the diversity of our state’s population and driving spaces and conditions. We have it all from drifting imports which have gained prominence recently all the way up to the collector car scene at the famous Pebble Beach Car Show and Monterey Historics Race at Laguna Seca which is always amazing. Regardless of what you're into there are many events, clubs and shows to join.

What cars do you currently own? I feel lucky that I get to drive a 2010 Toyota Tundra, 2008 Audi S4 Avant and 2006 Porsche Carrera 4S. When do you drive these cars/trucks? Because of demands at work (going long distances, carrying heavy materials and driving with my co-workers), I primarily drive the Toyota and Audi during the week and the Porsche more often in the evenings or on the weekend (as often as I get the chance!)

What is the favorite vehicle you have ever owned and why? In general the Porsche is my favorite car because of the build quality, steering, suspension and power delivery. I simply feel so connected to the pavement when I am driving it, especially on a traffic free, windy road. What is the least favorite and why? The Toyota is my least favorite, although it is very practical and may pass you going up a hill, chances are it won't pass the gas station. It is also difficult to drive (and park) in the city, being so large. What is a unique driving experience you have had? In 2007 I had the opportunity to go to a private driving school on the Racetrack at Laguna Seca for the first time and had a blast. I not only had fun on the world famous race track but also learned a lot about car control on and off the racetrack. I was also able to test the strengths and weaknesses of different vehicles. More recently I was able to attend a Porsche sponsored driving event at Candlestick Park in San Francisco and had fun increasing my skill level and testing the limits of a 911, on a closed course - of course.