Vivian Treff has always had a heart for the food industry. After spending years in a 9-5 job, she knew that her future was elsewhere. “I felt like I was looking in one direction and walking in another,” said Vivian. “I’ve been in the restaurant business since I was 15; that’s where my heart is.” After Vivian’s supportive husband reassured her that he was bringing in enough income for her to chase her dream of having a food truck, she quit her job and did just that. “I was so excited but wasn’t sure where to start, so I began researching and discovered that having a food truck would be pretty darn expensive.” Vivian and her husband considered their options. They placed offers on a couple of brick and mortar locations, but both fell through which ended up being a blessing. “I was thankful that those options didn’t pan out; I was on a path that I wasn’t yet aware of,” said Vivian. 

Vivian’s husband was getting ready to start a hectic work schedule that would require him to work crazy hours and sometimes nights. “They bring contractors in from all over the country for these projects, so I thought I should just buy a small hotdog cart and sell the hundreds of workers hotdogs,” said Vivian. “I figured if there’s anything I can do that’s easy and allows me to make money without spending too much in the beginning it would be hotdogs.” Vivian found a hotdog cart online, drove up to Petaluma, and brought it home. “It needed a lot of work, but we eventually got it up and running. My husband worked really hard to help me get it in shape.” In the end Vivian wasn’t able to take her cart to her husband’s work due to technicalities, but that idea was the catalyst that began what is now known as Boondoggies.