Bus conversions are something we get kind of excited about around here. Taking a transport vehicle and turning it into living space is a neat idea. While not your run-of-the-mill RV, this bus conversion has an innovative layout that may inspire you in your own project.
A retired city bus now serves as a rolling food pantry.
Prestige Food Trucks developed the “Fresh Stop Bus” a mobile farmer’s market housed in an old city bus. They took a retired city mass transit bus, gutted the passenger components and decked the interior out with everything needed to transport fresh food to local neighborhoods.
The Orlando based food truck builder is setting out to change reality for poorer areas around the city. They feel they can save residents money in a few ways:
- Cheaper prices for the same or better quality, due to the low overhead design of the bus.
- Residents can save money on gas by not having to drive to outlying markets to get what they need.
- Good quality food will save on health costs and provides more nutritional value for each dollar spent.
The Fresh Stop Bus features full sized cold cases.
Starting from just a few feet behind the driver’s seat, this bus looks nothing like the mass transit buses you are used to. With the exception of two sections of seating for store personnel, the rest is a total reinvention.
Everything about this bus is fresh – from the outside in.
Like any store that stocks fresh produce, cold cases are a must-have. Full scale, glass-fronted refrigerated boxes line both sides of the aisle.
Stainless steel and skid proof rubber surfaces abound.
The bus’s traditional carpeted floor has also been ripped up in favor of non-skid, perforated crepe rubber sectional mats throughout. The lighting has been upgraded to give the feel of a well-lit market, with large fluorescents in the center of the stainless steel ceiling.
The bus’s floor and walls are also covered in industrial-grade restaurant stainless steel panels for easy cleaning. The middle of the bus features angled produce shelves lined from floor to ceiling with green plastic fresh produce trays carrying everything from citrus and apples to greens and berries.
Looks just as fresh as at your local store.
The bus travels through underserved neighborhoods to give residents the opportunity to get foods that might be challenging to find without cars. Those with tough work schedules that keep them close to home now have an easier way to go grocery shopping. The bus provides alternatives to the frozen foods and convenience items found in local neighborhood gas station markets.
The large awning welcomes shoppers in from the Florida sun.
Outside, the bus has a large, welcoming awning that is designed to bring the rolling market outside.
The rear of the bus holds a huge, well-appointed work space with stainless steel work tables featuring lots of room for sorting, washing and stocking baskets, and storing discarded produce that doesn’t quite make the cut.
Stainless steel work tables and a sink fill the rear of the bus.
Underneath the shelves, cardboard boxes stocked with back up supplies are neatly stowed away.
While the bus is meant for city duty, we’re thinking this might also be a hit at local RV parks too!
See more photos of the Fresh Stop Bus at the Prestige Food Trucks website.
