Roots Catering has been a staple at Aberdeen Beach for the past five years, serving customers tasty vegan food.
Throughout this time, owner Nick Coetzer has put his all into making the business as successful as possible.
However the 41-year-old has now made the decision to close down.
While some customers would be surprised at the choice, Nick feels it is a necessary one.
“It can be a very demanding job – I sometimes put in 100 hours a week,” he said.
“It’s no one’s decision other than mine, the business is still perfectly viable.
“The last thing I would want to do is let the business slide and have our standards slip a bit.
“I had a feeling in my gut when I started Roots that it was the right thing to do, and I have the same feeling about this next step.”
The popular green food truck is now set for a big final weekend before a planned pop-up next week.
“We’ve got in as much food as we possibly can, so it’d be great to get as many people as possible,” said Nick.
“We always stay open if people are waiting to get food.”
Roots at Aberdeen beach set for farewell
Nick is going to use his time off to make sure he is in the best condition going forward.
“I’ve had two surgeries over the past few years which I don’t think have been able to heal properly from,” he said.
“I’m at my best creatively when I have a clear mind and feel good physically so that’s what I’m going to do.
“Right now, I don’t know what the end goal is but I feel like I have to take this step.”
There have been several high points that Nick will look back fondly on.
He said: “When I first got the van, I remember the feeling of excitement.
“It was something that I wanted to do for a while, but it was then that it started to feel real.
“Covid brought a lot of challenges, but I look back really proudly on how we dealt with it.
“We were due to move into Aberdeen market the day that we went into lockdown.
“I didn’t have any time to feel sorry for myself, and there was no way I was giving up.”
Roots owner looks back on time at Aberdeen Beach
Roots has developed an incredibly loyal fanbase during its time at the beach.
Nick said: “We rely a lot on repeat customers, rather than passers-by.
“We’ve managed to create a great community and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.
“I’ve made a lot of dear friends through Roots.
“I loved the feeling of making the food and physically passing it over to them.
“Seeing people enjoy it was the greatest reward possible.
“I think that’s what I will miss most about it.”
Despite Roots ending in its current format, Nick plans to bring his food back to the beach.
Nick said: “There is nothing set in stone but there’s plan to have the van open for pop-up days at the beach.
“It could return as Roots or potentially something different.
“It would likely be a much smaller menu, focusing on some quality items.”
For now, Nick can now look forward to some well-earned rest.
“I’m excited to get out surfing and get some time with the dog,” he said.
“I think it will set me up well before I take these next steps. As soon as I know I’ll be sure to let everyone else know.”
The van will be open this week on Friday and Saturday from 11am to 6pm, and on Sunday from 11am to 4pm.
There will be one last pop up the following week on Friday 27, with more details to be announced.
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