The Man Behind Legendary Food Trucks
I had the opportunity to sit down with Luis Bringas of BN Fabrications on Friday morning. Luis has been working on food trucks for the last 8 years. When he was first getting started in the industry he worked for an independent contractor that would primarily work with metal and welding. Taking these roots and his knowledge of electricians work to amaze customers with his custom work.
We spoke about his old projects and even some of the recent stuff he had still in his garage. Luis has undergone so many projects and remodels that when we looked over his saved pictures, he had whole albums dedicated to each individual project with some even having before, during, and after pictures. Luis has built food trucks that drive around all of Colorado, from Longmont to Denver, even to Wyoming.
We initially began the conversation on the topic of one of his finished projects, an all-terrain vehicle that the owner was planning on using for hunting.
So tell me what’s going on with the cage on the ATV?
That was originally a project that the owner wanted a metal cage on the back so he could bring his two dogs with him on any hunting trips he had planned.
Interesting! So what are these latches on the side for? There’s already the main gate.
The owner wanted a quick release that he could either wire up to a button or use an old-fashioned rope to open while he was still in the driver’s seat.
I love that concept, these welds are super clean how long have you been working with metal?
Ohh it’s been at least 12 to 13 years, I originally worked with MIG welders and self-feeding line but it’s come a long way since then, welding is a lot easier nowadays and I find it enjoyable.
So looking at all the stuff you’ve done here, are you a one-man team or do you have others that help you out?
When it comes to the actual building, I am the one that is responsible for all that and for understanding the health codes associated with getting these trucks up and running. Usually, my customers will come to me with an idea and a vehicle in mind, from there I take over and make their dreams come to life so I can show them what I am capable of here in my workshop.
So what are some of the efforts that you put forward to make sure that each vehicle is sustainable and environmentally friendly?
We’ve experimented with solar panels on some of the trucks but the power output just isn’t what we want so it’s not a reliable source of power for an entire kitchen. I usually strive to put a diesel generator in each of my trucks. These are often enclosed in their own box on the side of the vehicle and when it comes to the propane tanks, I usually avoid putting those on the back like most builders but put them underneath on the frame of the truck.
How do the regulations with the health department differ between the different counties in Colorado?
Well, I only have experience with a couple of cities but I know that Denver requires fire suppression systems in the trucks located there but Larimer County is a little bit more lenient.
So what are some of the difficulties associated with your line of work?
Often I struggle with making customers happy, I work as hard as I can to see the smile and happiness show on my customer’s face when they come to pick up the vehicle after I have gone through it.
Okay on the other side then, what are some of the best parts?
I enjoy working with my hands a ton so this line of work lets me get the best parts of that, plus I have the creative lead on everything that happens here so that makes everything either my great idea or my failure, there’s no one else that gets the blame.
Thank you so much for your time Luis, is there anything you’d like to add that we haven’t touched on?
Safety has always been my number one priority when building these trucks, I never want a customer to come back and be upset that I didn’t deliver on my part. My goal will always be to impress and overachieve for every single truck, I love seeing the look on someone’s face when they can’t believe what they’re looking at.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time sitting down with Luis, he provided deep insight into the process as to what steps he takes before he feels comfortable sending the vehicle to their owner. Luis is a man who prides himself on his work and the happiness he delivers to his customers with each piece of custom work.
