The Chip Man is out there
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Apr 20/01) - The Chip Man is here.
In a white truck, red letters down the side CHIPMAN 1/4 lbs fries, the Chip Man parks by the curb on Franklin Avenue and opens his window for the delivery of french fries.
And the people come.
The Chip Man, a.k.a David Lantz, is the french fry talk of the town as we enter the early days of Yellowknife spring.
He was not always a vendor of fried potatoes but chose his new path because he "was sick and tired of working for other people."
Now he parks his truck, chops up to 23 kilograms of potatoes a day and sells french fried happiness to people.
"It's been pretty good," said Lantz.
"It's a little more constant every day," he said.
This is Lantz's first year in the fry biz, he only received his business licence in March.
He got a big boost during Caribou Carnival selling over 450 kilograms of french fries.
"A guy told me what I do is almost an essential service," said Lantz.
He's invested around $10,000 into his business and would like expand next year.
"Next year I'd like to get a hot truck," he said.
"A kitchen on wheels," said Lantz.
His business started from humble beginnings last year when he bought his truck for a "couple of hundred bucks".
"It was a ratty old hunk of junk," he said.
"I built it from the ground up," said Lantz.
And now he's making close to $200 a day selling fries.
Lantz does car body work on the side at a shop in Kam Lake, which should help offset some overhead.
He has to plug coins into the meter on Franklin Ave.
But the summer has just begun for the Chip Man and business is steady but don't expect to get ketchup with the fries. "My fries don't need ketchup," said Lantz.
He does offer a little salt if needed.
Despite the lack of ketchup people walking past the truck often stop, dig in their pockets and decide on the spot to eat fries.
Maggy Lafferty was one of the those people digging out $20 to buy a large helping of french fries for $5.
"I'm looking forward to meeting people eating my french fries," said Lantz.
