LIVES Food Truck "OOPEN"

Thanks to all of your support, Food Truck “OOPEN” is actively moving around Tokyo!

We operate three days a week with the support of companies and city hall that have offered us space for free to sell lunches. On Tuesdays, Kawada Construction Co., Ltd. has offered us a space in front of their office building, and we serve lunch to their employees as well as the people who live around the area. On Wednesdays, Setagaya City Hall has offered their place to help serve lunch to their employees and visitors. We sell 60 lunch boxes in almost 30 minutes! And, we now have Thursdays!! Mori Building has offered their Art space area, which is across from Toranomon Hills:- their office building. With the help of our volunteer, we are able to increase our sales to the neighbor companies and families who are in the area. I am sure, after the COVID situation improves, and the people start to come to the office, our food truck “OOPEN” will be a popular venue for lunch. Also, when the universities open fully and the students are on campus, we would like to return to the universities to work with students and resume our sales on campus.

Employees at Ancienne AI, who have mental issues or have intellectual disabilities, cook the lunch under the instruction of Chef Kyozuka. Chef Kyozuka has spent tireless time, working under the Michelin Star Chef Kuroiwa, and expanded their menu to four different types of food. Keema Curry & rice, Tomato Oregano Chicken & rice, Beef Rice Bowl with French sauce, and Pork Belly Rice Bowl with French sauce. They are all really delicious! And we are now experimenting with all these menus.

House Foods Group has kindly donated their keema curry roux and spicy tomato roux, to the LIVES food truck, and with the mixture of secret ingredients and spices created by the chef, staff and volunteers, we are working hard to constantly improve the taste of our lunch menus. Not only have we improved the food quality and service, we did some re-touch on the cosmetics of the truck. Part of the food truck has been painted yellow, and it is now brighter and stands out more.

We now have inquiries from companies and organizations about collaborating together. Using the food truck, we can do so many more things, working with people with and without disabilities. Food truck is fun, and gives smile to everybody’s faces. Especially in this situation of COVID-19, when we cannot go out so much, food truck can play an important role. We may be able to deliver food to elderly people who cannot go out to shop on their own. We may be able to support some small restaurants by collaborating.

We need to keep this project going, so we can support our community as well as supporting the jobs of people with disabilities…   Our imagination grows.

Our dream is to be able to spread this concept throughout Tokyo, to realize the mission of LIVES, which is “To create an inclusive society where the individuality of each person shines and everyone is empowered to WORK, EAT and LAUGH together!!”

Thank you all for your continued support, and please look forward to our next report.

Our dreams expand!!