A food truck located just off M-22 has a fresh look going into the new year that’s more vibrant than ever and impossible to miss.
Raphael Foods debuted via social media its new truck paint design by Grand Rapids based Anishinaabe artist Alan Compo in December. Painted images like a jingle dress, bear, birch tree bark, and floral designs coated in bright reds, greens, blues, and purples help depict the family that’s been running the small business for so long.
While Tanya Raphael and her family have only been operating the food truck in Peshawbestown for the last two years, they’ve been traveling with it and making food for at least 13. When Raphael first started more than a decade ago, they were using a smaller trailer that wasn’t equipped with much, but they managed with what they had through at least two powwows. Since then, they found a bigger food truck that’s worked for their family business.
“I just told him (Alan Compo) just do what you do. He’s an awesome artist,” Raphael said. “I’m bear clan, my husband is raven clan, and we have (jingle) dancers that are in the family… I have a lot of black ash baskets, so he put some birch bark trees in there. He even made it look like a basket… he knew I liked the floral, and the turtleback represents mother earth. He just incorporated all kinds of cool stuff in here.”
Raphael had seen Compo’s work before and knew he’d be a great artist to help completely transform their truck. While the family had some time off last year, Raphael was able to get the food truck downstate for Compo to work on. It was ready to go and moved back up to Peshawbestown a couple weeks before Christmas.
The Raphael Foods truck is known for offering a wide selection of foods including the much beloved fry bread, Indian tacos, wild rice and corn soup, and even spam on fry bread. And although the truck is stationed across the road from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ youth services building in the winter months, it will be at other locations in Michigan during powwow season.
“The last couple years we’ve been doing really well… the tribe still contracts with us to do some major events… Last year, one of our events was the round dance at Grand Traverse Resort and we were preparing for about 400 people, but there were well over 1000 that attended,” she said. “We actually just signed a contract with them to do the round dance this year… I can’t wait, people were hitting us up and telling us they can’t wait for us to come.”
Raphael’s daughter, Wasinade, whose home sits right next to the food truck in Peshawbestown, said she loves seeing people get excited and line up to order their food at powwows and other events. Learning cooking tips and knowledge from family members over the years, like how to make the perfect fry bread or how to ash corn, has also been a huge part about why Raphael loves cooking the food that she does.
“We make it for the family, but we also make it for the community. People will ask for it, but I also just like cooking,” Raphael said.
Raphael Foods is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11-5 p.m., and encourages people to call 231313-6922 for orders during the winter months to avoid any waits.
