Mountain Berry Bowls brings health food to the street

SEELEY LAKE - Mountain Berry Bowls food truck offers a selection of organic fruit bowls on the go this summer in Seeley Lake. Co-owners and sisters-in-law Leigh Zell and Shannan Bogner have been franchisees of the truck since July 9. The overarching company is based out of Whitefish, Montana with other trucks located around Montana, Idaho and Colorado.

They said they were drawn to the company for its locality and health-focused approach.

"We wanted to do something together and something healthy," they said. "We really liked the appeal of the health factor. What really drew us to these guys is that it's a Montana-based company. ... And they try to do everything organic. They try not to waste anything and that really appealed to us."

The truck is currently based outside of Kurt's Polaris. Zell said they were able to secure the location because her husband works for the shop. They may venture out to other nearby locations in the future but they would first have to get permission from the main company.

The duo first met with the corporate owners in February where they spent time developing a relationship. They ordered their truck in April but due to COVID-19, they experienced multiple delays and were unable to find a shipper. They eventually found a plain white truck in Indiana which they drove to Whitefish where it was wrapped and received its other final touches.

Zell moved to Seeley Lake in 2017. She said they moved because her husband was "chasing snow" and wanted to live in a place where "the wind doesn't blow."

Bogner has lived in Deer Lodge since 2015 and visits Seeley in the summer. Both have lived in Montana their entire lives. This is the first business venture for both owners although Bogner has worked on her family's farm.

Their bowls are an açaí smoothie base with granola and various fruit toppings. They also offer protein options like chia seeds and hemp. Bogner said the company tries not to be wasteful with their products so therefore aspects like bowls and spoons are compostable.

She said the company encourages them to get as many ingredients as possible from local producers. They get much of their supply from Cory's Valley Market, their granola comes from Kalispell and their honey is from Fat Hippie. They are looking into purchasing their bee pollen from Fat Hippie next year. Next year they hope to offer huckleberries as part of their bowls.

"If it's local, it's better for the local people to have," Bogner said. "A lot of businesses support us."

Zell continued, "We want to give back to the community. We get most of our products through the grocery store here and we try to buy organic as much as possible."

The food truck is open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Bogner said they will continue operating through September so long as "the weather holds." Next summer, they hope to be open every day. Next year's opening date will also be weather dependent.