Smart Parents Serve Coffee Out Of A Food Truck At School Drop-Off

These parents serving coffee out of a food truck at school drop-off are basically heroes

It’s early. Your kids are tired. You’re tired. You pull up to school drop-off and get ready for a long wait in the car line when, hark! Is that a…food truck? That serves coffee? At one school, this isn’t just a beautiful mirage, but a reality, as a pair of enterprising parents figured out one of the smartest business models of our time.

Let’s hope it catches on all over the country, because we’re seriously jealous right now.

According to Today, Gabriel and Heather Rael saw a need and filled it. Heather says when her family moved to North Carolina from New Mexico five years ago, they decided to start a food truck as a flexible side business and also, to “connect with the community.”

And so, Caffe Ole was born.

The idea to set up at their kid’s school was Gabriel’s. Heather explains, “My husband was waiting in line recently to pick up our daughter and seeing all the cars just sitting there. He thought it would be nice to be able to get out of his car and get something to drink. He also remembered when I was a teacher and I always wanted a place where I could get a good cup of coffee, so hence the coffee truck at the school.”

Fellow parent Leigh Fickling posted on Facebook about the food truck saying it may be “the best thing ever” and hello, she would be absolutely right.

Fickling tells Today, “I thought I saw a food truck at the back of the morning car line. We all know that car lines are places of order and regulation — don’t get out of line, don’t cut in line, keep your eyes ahead and maintain order — could it be? A food truck?”

Oh yes, it was a food truck. And after dropping her twin second graders off, she took full advantage of its offerings. “The first day I ordered coffee, I got to the school about 10 minutes before the law and order of the car line began. I pulled right up to the cute, little truck and proudly marched over, debit card in hand.”

Heather says their truck is positioned at the back of the parking lot, so as not to mess with the actual drop-off line. Parents can grab coffee before or after drop-off. Because we all know the importance of not screwing up the fragile peace that exists in a smoothly-moving car line.

This is a truly amazing idea. Some parents might have their coffee first thing in the morning at home but those would be parents with their shit together, which many of us are not. On more mornings than we’d care to admit, we’re running to the bus stop or flying out the door to drive the kids to school having not had a single sip of that life-giving liquid, because we are perpetually running late. If we had a food truck with fresh coffee available during those desperate moments it would be pretty much perfect.

As Fickling says, “As I threw my passengers out and wished them a happy day, I took a big gulp of my coffee and smiled because I knew that I would have a happy day, too.”

Hell yes. Let’s make this a thing everywhere so we can all have happy days.