There may be life off the ranch, but any Fremont County farmer or rancher will tell you – The #aglife is “the good life!” #Aglife is a County 10 series, brought to you by Wyoming Community Bank, that pulls the curtain back on farm and ranch life in Fremont County.
The vendors lining the area under the tents near the entrance to the Fremont County Fairgrounds Arena are a long-standing tradition at the county fair. A new vendor, offering a wide variety of drinks from coffee to Italian sodas has taken a spot on the east side of the picnic area.
Barb Gitchel owned and operated Railroad Express in Lander from 2019 to 2022 but had a change of focus, and a bigger change of location in mind this summer.
“We decided that sitting in one spot wasn’t bringing in the people, so we went to them,” Barb said.
The tandem axle trailer contains a full kitchen for preparing drinks, a wide ordering window, a standard entrance, and a wide rear entrance for loading supplies.
Barb works with her daughter Megan Gitchel Snyder and Megan’s children Jade and Lincin. Jade enters her junior year at Wind River this fall and Lincin is a handful at two years old.
The Fremont County Fair is their first large venue after serving at Pavillion for the 4th of July and Day in the Park in Riverton.
“It’s been pretty good so far,” Barb said. “We’ve been here for 30 years.”
The idea of a mobile food or beverage truck is catching on nationwide. It is a return to the days of mobile hotdog vendors and expresso shops in cities, and it’s very popular in Fremont County as well.
“Coffee, mocha lattes, Italian sodas, we can make them all,” Barb said.
Their menu offers drinks in sizes not usually seen at drive-through coffee or soda shops, ranging from 16 to 32 ounces, with stops at 20 and 24 ounces in between.
“I’d like to park downtown at the Ace Parking Lot,” Barb said. “I’d like to park in other places downtown too.”
With location being a big part of any business, having one on wheels has its advantages.