Sep. 17, 2014

By Rumasa Noor

Some people live their dreams – they go for what they want, sooner or later. Others don’t always find the courage to follow their dreams.

Kathy Channing, owner of The Ratical Frye, is one of those people who beat the odds and went for what she always wanted to do: Own a food truck.

Channing started the food truck three years ago.

“I have always cooked, I have been cooking for like 45 years – a long time – so I love to cook,” she said. “It’s kind of a hobby, so I thought well my husband and I are getting older and I thought oh we could do a food truck in retirement.”

Channing also attended UW-Whitewater in the 90s, although she never graduated. She  finished her degree at the Gateway Technical College and became a nurse.

Channing says owning a business is one of the hardest things to do.

Channing took a crash course in business from Walworth County Economic Development Alliance (WCEDA) which helped her write her business plan and prepared her to start the food truck.

“I do all kinds of foods,” Channing said. “I try to do everywhere in the world, if I see a recipe I will try it. I have cooked Asian, African, American, Italian, Fench, English. I rotate the menu a lot and I twist some stuff to the Midwestern type of food.”

One of Channing’s most popular recipes is the Frye Bread. When she opened her truck in spring, there was a line of people for four hours who wanted to get the Frye bread, she said.

“Every now and then I introduce something new whether it’s a whole entree or just something as simple as a sweet and sour jalapeno pepper,” Channing said.

She says many people just want to get what they are familiar with, but when she has them try something new, they end up liking it.

She also makes street foods people see on TV.

Despite the success and customer loyalty she earned, Channing’s journey has not always been a smooth one. She had to comply with everything a restaurant owner has to comply with.

She also has to deal with parking restrictions, as her insurance company doesn’t allow her to park in certain places such as near railroad tracks, she said.

“It’s always different but it’s neat because you meet so many different types of people, too, you know, that’s a lot of fun,” Channing said.

Later this year, Channing will be going to a flea market in Illinois where multiple vendors will gather around and sell their products.

Occasionally Channing’s family, particularly her grand-daughter, helps her operate The Ratical Frye. She plans on handing over her business to her granddaughter eventually.

Channing has made a loyal customer base, but she also sees new customers quite a bit.

“I think the best thing that I have heard from people is you do what you love to do. I think that’s the best thing to see that there are people who recognize that this is something you are passionate about.”

Channing opens the food truck in April and shuts it down in November every year due to winter weather.

Channing will be providing food at the World Music Festival ‘14 on Wednesday, Sept. 17 in Young Auditorium.

Channing posts the menu and location she is operating on her Facebook page.

For more information, visit her Facebook page http://tinyurl.com/mjsyq3n.