Meet Aaron Posey | Vegan Chef and Nonprofit ED

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aaron Posey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aaron, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The most important thing for me, was finding a way to positively impact both the community and the industry. While simply feeding the existing vegan community is a sustainable business model due to a lack of dedicated vegan restaurants in Colorado Springs, it’s more important to me to treat this as a form of activism that will both enrich people’s lives by offering a creative balance between heathy plant forward dishes and decadent comfort food, as well as change people’s perception of what vegan cuisine is and subsequently grow the market for all of our fellow vegan business owners. In order to help facilitate that, we need to do our part to bring stability back to the industry. So, we founded Eat the Springs, a 501(c)(3) focused on promoting stability and wellness in our local service industry by providing a directory of resources, workshops, and financial assistance.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own and operate The Joint Vegan Street Food, a 100% vegan food truck based in Colorado Springs. We are predominantly made from scratch, focusing on whole food plant forward dishes with a fusion of flavors and method.

I’m incredibly proud of our ability to bridge the gap between whole food plant based and comfort food, and avoiding pre-made processed bulk foods. A lot of people are skeptical of processed meat replacements, but they’re extremely receptive when they recognize ingredients backed by our ability to answer any questions they may have regarding the process. Making our food from scratch requires time, but it allows us to create menus that are not only accessible from an allergen standpoint, but also a financial one. Not everyone can afford the pay a Vegan Tax, and it’s important to us to take our opposition to exploitation and apply that to our community.

I first stepped onto the food truck in the spring of 2020, so thanks to COVID, no it wasn’t easy. Staffing shortages meant 80-90 hour work weeks, and being that my title at the time was Business Development Manager, being on the truck wasn’t what anyone intended for me. Making the best of the situation, I started doing weekly vegan specials. Eventually, I was invited to do an all vegan pop-up event at The Burrowing Owl, which was about the time I stepped down and started doing vegan food full-time.

The number one thing I’ve learned, is that patience improves every decision I have to make.

Nine years ago, I was given five years to live. Veganism saved my life. The Joint has given it purpose.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am a firm believer that everything I’ve ever done, no matter how big or small, was made possible by the support, encouragement, or lessons learned from others. My Dad taught me patience, perseverance, and consistency, and it wasn’t until I went into business for myself that I realized how very important all of those things are in everything that I do. The encouragement, support, and advice I’ve received from the local community here has been paramount as well. Specifically, Jenny and Tyler Sherman, JL Fields, and Cody Rilo and Tyler Schiedel.

Website: www.thejointveganstreetfood.com

Instagram: @thejointveganstreetfood

Twitter: @thejointvsf

Facebook: /thejointveganstreetfood