It would be easy to miss the latest addition to the Glasgow food scene, nestled into the exposed brick wall of a car park near the banks of the River Clyde.
But, having opened only two weeks ago, this 'if you know you know' style set up only adds to the rustic charm of the Greek-inspired Feta Street Food.
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Telling the story of how they came to find themselves in such a quirky spot co-owner Calvin Crichton, 26, said: “I’ve been the general manager at St Jude's on Bath Street for the last three years.
“Since lockdown started both myself and my business partner have had young kids, so we fancied a bit of a change and the chance to go out and do something ourselves.
“We originally wanted to open in Dundee, because that’s where we’re from, but then this spot came up and we just couldn’t turn it down.”
It’s easy to see why the space that Feta Street Food now calls home was too good an opportunity to miss.
Fitting seamlessly into their industrial surroundings, Calvin and business partner Chris Symonds have already started planning for hazy summer days of trading by the river.
Until then, however, the reality of opening during a harsh Glasgow winter has brought its own challenges.
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Calvin said: “We’ve actually had the trailer for two years now, but because of covid and various other factors there have been a few bumps in the road.
“There were two storms on the same weekend that we were supposed to open.
“We had to call off the Saturday altogether, but when we managed to get going it was great.
“Even without doing much advertising people still managed to find us and the feedback that we got was really encouraging, especially from a couple of Greek people who stopped by to try the food.
“I’m from Dundee myself and it’s not like I’ve got a drop of Greek blood in me.
“So, to get their approval was all I could really ask for.”
It was nothing more than their love for the country's cuisine that inspired Calvin and Chris to specialise in Greek food for their first independent venture.
But, as well as the chance to put their impressive culinary skills to the test, working from the trailer has helped them to find a sense of connection with their customers that is unique to the street food way of serving.
Calvin said: “We love cooking, but we don’t like to call ourselves chefs.
“We do spend a lot of time on the menu trying to get it right.
“The honey bites are dynamite, and then there’s our house sauce.
“It’s bright pink and almost like a chilli mayo. I can’t tell you the recipe though, it’s a wee house secret.
“A real core value for us when coming up with our menu was to make sure there was minimal waste involved.
“Aside from that, one of the best things about having the trailer is being able to take the time and chat to people rather than just flinging the food out, it’s nice to give people a little customer service .”
While enjoying the fact that their new pitch is in prime location for city centre foodies and lunch break foragers, Calvin and Chris are also eager to do their bit in helping the most vulnerable members of the city centre community.
Calvin said: “I’m hopefully going to set up some meetings soon to discuss the idea of taking an hour at the end of a Sunday to give out free food to anyone who might be in need.
“We’re in a cracking spot, right in the middle of the financial district and not far from Finnieston, but then only stone’s throw away from the trailer there are people who are out on the street.
“They might not have access to the basics, or even know where their next meal is coming from, so if we can do our bit to help out as well as making sure no food goes to waste then we’ll get it done.
“No questions asked.
“I guess that’s one of the great things about having our own place now, it gives you that extra bit of freedom away from red tape.
“It was a scary thought to make that change at first, but the way things are working out, it benefits everyone really.”
Feta Street Food is located at the Riverboat Casino Car Park 61 Broomielaw Glasgow.
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