EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Stephanie Morgan of Seabirds Truck
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 1:39PM 
Photo courtesy of Seabirdstruck.com
The vegan world shed a tear on Sunday night, when the all-vegan, Orange County-based Seabirds truck was eliminated from The Great Food Truck Race on Food Network. Though they didn't take the entire competition, Stephanie, Raya and Nicole made the vegan community proud with their hard work and dedication to quality over quickness. Stephanie Morgan is Seabirds' HBIC (Head Bird In Charge, of course), and VV recently caught up with Costa Mesa resident to talk veganism, business, and lessons from The Great Food Truck Race. Here is what she had to say.
VV: Please introduce yourself to the VV readers. (Name, location, etc.)
SM: My name is Stephanie Morgan and I’m the owner/founder of Seabirds. I am currently located at Freesoulcaffé, the best vegan joint in Tustin, but I reside in Costa Mesa, CA.
VV: How long have you been vegan and what inspired you to make the change?
SM: I pretty much turned vegan overnight after educating myself about the food systems that are in place in this country. I was so upset and grossed out that I couldn’t eat meat or dairy the next day knowing what I knew. I started to feel so much more alive, healthier, had more energy and stopped getting sick so all these benefits really sealed the deal for me. It’s also extremely rewarding that an animal doesn’t have to die for me to have a meal.
VV: What made you want to start the first vegan food truck in California (and possibly in the world)?
SM: Well, I was actually living in Sacramento for a very short period of time and there was a taco truck that parked right by my place. Occasionally I would go there for lunch and talk with the couple that owned the truck and they would make me these really great veggie burritos off the menu. I just started thinking how awesome it would be if there was an all vegan food truck that served great tacos and burritos and other vegan meals... I just wanted it so bad that I guess I dreamed it to life!
VV: Where did the name Seabirds come from?
SM: It was the name of my grandpa’s boat growing up. I loved that boat and love the ocean.
VV: What is your favorite dish that you make on the truck?
SM: Occasionally we make these awesome beet sliders with caramelized onions, arugula, walnut date compote, and a green onion mayo. Killer! But lately, I’m trying not to eat so much gluten so I really like all of the rice dishes we’ve been doing.
VV: Is this your first business?
SM: Yes, I’m just the right amount of crazy to start one business at the moment.
VV: What has been you biggest accomplishment with Seabirds thus far?
SM: Getting on Season 2 of The Great Food Truck Race! It was such an awesome experience because we were able to introduce so many new people to vegan food and see lots of new parts of the country.
VV: What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?
SM: I think starting a vegan food truck is an uphill battle in itself. Although I knew that getting in to it, its still an every day struggle when we park with other food trucks that are serving things like cheese stuffed steak wrapped in bacon. It takes a lot longer to gather a customer base with vegetables.
VV: Let’s talk about Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race. How did you react when you found out you had been chosen to compete on the show? Who did you tell first?
SM: I got the phone call while doing a lunch service with another bird Raya. I screamed and we jumped up and down on the truck. We had about 15 people in line and they must have all thought we were nuts. The first person I told was my sister. She’s my biggest fan.
VV: What were your thoughts when they introduced the sausage challenge? What did that nasty sausage factory smell like?
SM: When Tyler Florence first announced the competition was to make sausage I was regretting it, but then I realized this could be a great opportunity for us to show America how you can make anything vegan so then I was excited for the challenge. It was weird because I’m around meat all the time since a lot of my friends & family members eat meat, but it’s been awhile since I’ve been around the smell of raw rotting meat. The smell of that sausage factory was horrid and it hit me like a brick wall. I was stunned and just couldn’t go in any further.
VV: How much is success in GFTR dependent on business smarts (location selection, partnerships, etc.) versus food quality?
SM: I think the competition changed a bit for Season 2 because a lot of people watched the first season and knew what we were doing when we rolled into their town. The competition turned in to a competition of speed, paying the least for product, and charging as mush as you could per menu item. Unfortunately for us it didn’t have much to do with food quality.
VV: What did you learn from your Great Food Truck Race experience?
SM: I learned how to make the truck run more efficiently and quicker.
VV: What other restaurants, or food in general, do you like to eat besides the amazing food you serve up at Seabirds?
SM: In Orange County I like to eat at Native Foods, Banzai Bowls and Freesoulcaffé. I really like Café Gratitude and Flore Vegan in LA too and Sunflower Natural Foods in Fair Oaks is amazing too. And in NYC I love me some Candle Café, Kate’s Joint and soup from Hale & Hearty!
VV: I’ve seen you respond to emails, tweets, and Facebook comments at all hours of the day. Do you actually sleep?
SM: I actually work in my sleep, it’s a skill I’ve developed over the past year.
VV: What inspires and motivates you on a daily basis to keep putting your heart into your business?
SM: It’s very easy to get lost in the weeds and forget why I’m doing this. But it’s definitely our customer’s comments and emails that keep me motivated. Its extremely rewarding when people come back to the truck after eating and tell us thank you and that they hate vegetables but love our food, or that they like our jackfruit tacos better than meat tacos, or that our beer battered avocado tacos are like crack and they think about them all week.
VV: What’s next for the Seabirds crew?
SM: Seabirds Pin-Up Calendar of course! Perhaps some consulting too if there’s time after the calendar shoot.
VV: Any last words, shout outs, etc?
SM: Huge shout out to my birds!- Raya Belna, Nicole Daddona, Caroline Vu, Sara Nath and Lindsey Vogel- they keep the truck running like clockwork and I couldn’t do it without them. Thanks ladies!
Click here to visit the Seabirds site, where you can view their schedule and daily menu.
Reader Comments (1)
I'm one of those carnivores that absolutely loves seabirds! Bummed that you ladies didn't make it further..