A Kamloops duo are hoping they have found the solution to the woes of kitchen renovations.
Chris Gjernes and Tom Calne say they have created the first portable kitchen unit in the country.
Essentially a kitchen on wheels, the Sidecar Solution will allow families to cook and eat meals while undergoing kitchen renovations.
“If someone wants to do a home renovation to their kitchen, they’re not forced to eat in restaurants for the duration of their renovations,” Calne said. “When renovations are going on in the house at 7:30 in the morning, this can provide a nice, calm place where people can come to have a cup of coffee, eat breakfast and read the paper.”
The 18 by 8.5 feet trailer is packed with kitchen appliances from a toaster to a dish washer. The trailer is also equipped with a dining table, furnace, A/C unit, hot water tank and fresh and waste water.
With over 20 years of residential construction under their belts, the pair from Kamloops have seen their fair share of families struggle through kitchen renovations.
“People would literally set up a hotplate in their basement and do their dishes in their shower or bathtub,” said Gjernes. “We’ve seen so many people pull their hair out over it — we thought this might be a good solution to the renovation problems people face.”
After seeing similar vehicles in Europe, Calne brought the idea to Gjernes who believed there could be a market for it in the Interior.
“I think when we first mentioned it to people, they didn’t understand it because they hadn’t seen it,” said Gjernes. “We’re hoping to help contractors as much as we help homeowners. This could provide a scenario for a contractor to come in and take away the problems that come away with a lengthy renovation.”
The Sidecar Solution is available to rent through sidecarkitchens.com.
