A new all-electric food truck, “The Mighty Vegans,” is opening next week in Longmont.

Owner Justice Marcellus chose an all-electric truck in an effort to be more sustainable. The truck is almost entirely powered by the solar panels attached to its roof and the oven and refrigerator inside are powered by an electric generator.

“It’s more expensive, but I wanted to be as environmentally friendly as possible,” said Marcellus.

The menu features three options, ranging from $9-13. All of the food is gluten-free or has a gluten-free option. Marcellus touts the quinoa, salsa and falafel-filled “Vegan Delight” as the truck’s must-try special. Also offered are a pizza topped with vegetables and “beyond” meatballs as well as a burger and waffle fries.

Vegans and non-vegans alike can sample The Mighty Vegans on Monday at Renaissance Wine and Spirits in Longmont at 1425 S Airport Road Suite 104. The event starts at 4 p.m., and the first 100 patrons will eat for free.

Afterwards, Marcellus is catering a private graduation event and then is planning on making appearances at local businesses around Longmont.

The Mighty Vegans’ schedule can be found on the website themightyvegans.com.

The menu is vegan because Marcellus is a vegan herself; she started the diet after being encouraged to adopt it by a lifelong vegan friend. She wants people to try the recipes she created in the three and a half years since, noting that, despite typical assumptions about vegan food, the menu is protein-forward.

“It’s like really good Chipotle,” she said.

She cites her experience working at the since-closed Scratch Kitchen in Denver as inspiration for this latest venture. While Marcellus originally considered starting a restaurant, friends in the food industry advised her to start off with a food truck.

Now, the truck itself is a key point of what makes The Mighty Vegans unique. Marcellus has been driving an electric car for years and an electric food truck seemed like the next logical step. The vehicle, which was made in China, came furnished with a working kitchen. Marcellus installed the solar panels on the roof and replaced the truck’s batteries herself, but was otherwise set with the original schematics. She’s pleased with how the electric generator she bought to power the appliances is odorless, saying that the contamination produced by gas generators should not be near food.

The Mighty Vegans keeps this ethos in its attempts to source its ingredients locally. It sources its employees locally, too: while Marcellus is the one running the show, her twin brother will help cook and her teenage daughter will occasionally handle the register.

Marcellus has big dreams for the truck’s future. She has some new recipes like mango sushi and a multi-bean dip on the back burner, and is considering stationing The Mighty Vegans by Renaissance Wine and Spirits on every Monday. Ultimately, though, she sees an expansion into a fleet of The Mighty Vegans trucks serving “absolutely delicious food.”

As for its reach?

“Worldwide,” Marcellus said.