Washougal celebrates long-awaited ‘Shoug Shack’ opening

The Washougal School District’s (WSD) student-run food truck is finally set for its long-awaited debut.

WSD leaders, Washougal Mayor David Stuebe and community members celebrated the opening of the Shoug Shack with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 2.

“We have been waiting for this day for years,” WSD Superintendent Mary Templeton said. “This project started before COVID, and through perseverance, grit, determination, creativity and collaboration we are here today.”

District leaders purchased the truck in 2020, and hoped to have the business up and running by the fall of 2021, but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There were complications with the permitting process,” said Margaret Rice, WSD’s director of career and technical education (CTE). “We were in the queue for over a year to be looked at. The health department (inspection) was fine, but we couldn’t do anything without (approval from) the Department of Labor and Industries and the fire department. There’s a lot of regulations and codes, and we had to make sure that this vehicle was safe. We are relieved and excited (that it’s ready to go).”

The truck is a “culmination of classroom learning” for students in CTE programs, including digital photography, social media marketing and culinary arts, according to a news release.

“The Shoug Shack is a project-based mobile learning lab,” Templeton said. “Students have been involved in all steps of the process, including planning and implementation.They have applied classroom learning to solve real-world problems by planning and preparing their food truck. They’ve learned the process of creating a brand, marketing, business management, restaurant operation — front and back of the house — and teamwork through this hands-on project.”

The truck “opens the door” for students to gain experience within the hospitality and tourism industries before graduating, according to the news release.

“Having the food truck is an opportunity for us to gain real business experience in the culinary industry,” WHS culinary arts student Riley Harding said. “It lets us put our classroom skills to work in a real business and gives us a leg up when heading out into the world of work.”

Students served chili to event attendees from the newly-dedicated truck following the ribbon-cutting.

“We have been developing and testing our chili recipes in preparation for the launch,” Harding said. “All of the recipes, including the mulled cider, were developed by students.”

The truck, which will open for business this spring, will be stationed at district schools several days per month for the time being, but Rice hopes that it can travel to community events as soon as next year.

“Our goal is by the summer 2024, we’ll be able to actually hire a crew and a food truck manager, and schedule events in our area,” she said. “The students will know exactly when they’re working and have a paid learning work experience over the summer.”