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A Cork firefighter who bought an old truck and turned it into an exceptional mobile dock has now added seats inside.
Carrigaline Station Officer Chris Gledhill and his wife Lesley-Anne released ‘Blazing Beans’ last month and it has been hugely popular with area families as their kids love the big red treat machine.
The family operated in the Drakes Pool parking lot in Crosshaven and now they’ve made it even better as families will be able to enjoy their coffees and sweets inside the fire truck itself.
Speaking to CorkBeo, Chris said he can now accommodate one family at a time and will be sanitized between visits inside.
He said: “You can accommodate a family of six in the back and two in the front. One family at a time obviously and our covid precautions were taken.
“We will disinfect the truck once every family is inside. Nice little extra for the truck. “
Chris worked on the truck for months and was finally able to unveil the finished product last month.
He said it was something he wanted to do since joining the fire department in 2014, and thanks to all those 12-hour days and the hands-on help from his friends and family, he and Lesley-Anne now has the county’s most impressive café wharf.
Blazing Beans isn’t just about hot drinks, there’s plenty of room to store candies and cool treats to keep people from overheating on the hottest days.
He said: “Our goal was to keep the fire truck as original as possible. So we emptied the interior where the 1800L water tank was located and extended the roof so we could serve from the interior. .
“It was great to see our friends and neighbors participating here and there and bringing the community together. There is a long list of people to thank, but they know who they are.
Chris and Lesley-Anne will be guarding the local truck – as he wants to make sure it’s always near the station in case he needs to run on an emergency call.
They will also be offering discounts to emergency service workers and have future plans to start a charity and donate a percentage of their profits to help those in need as a result of fires in the area.
On top of that, a donation scanner will soon be in place at the checkout so customers can also donate to charity.
Chris added, “I want to stay on call so I can make calls while I’m working on the truck, so I have to be within a certain radius of the fire station.
“Our daughter Chloe will also be working with us during the summer months.
“We use a coffee called Filicori Zecchini supplied by ‘Independent Coffee Solutions’.
“We will be selling tea, coffee and soft drinks, as well as a variety of Slush Puppy candies and popsicles and other snacks.
“We will soon be starting our own charity to help victims of calls that we come across, for example house fires or car accidents etc.
“So we will give a percentage of the profits to this charity when it is needed, then we will present a sum to the family who need it when the time comes.
“There will also be the option to donate as much as you want through a scanner which I will invest in shortly.
“So I hope everyone enjoys the fire truck, I know the kids will enjoy it. And I hope everyone enjoys the coffee even more!
“Discounted coffee for firefighters and other frontline workers and emergency services.”
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