A bright purple, custom-made, 12-foot trailer with rustic wooden accents is a new regular at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton. The trailer welcomes hungry guests Thursday-Sunday from the edge of the main parking lot — positioned for ski-up or drive-by service.

“We had the trailer made in North Carolina, and the day it was finished we had it up here,” said Leah Klatzker, who owns and operates the food trailer with her identical twin sister Rachel Klatzker. “One of our signature drinks is a Maple Whip, made with fresh maple almond milk, coffee and cinnamon all whipped up together. We serve fun little drinks like that, plus our Belgian waffle bowls, cornbread bowls and chicken and waffles.”

The 37-year-old Klatzker sisters call their new business So-Full Sisters — filling customers’ bellies and their souls with holistic and healing food. 

“It’s month one,” Leah said in an interview last week. “But things are going really well. We sold out the past three days.”

Leah herself is new to the area too. She moved up from Georgia, where she has run a destination yoga business (Yoga del Soul) for the past four years.

THE FOOD CART at Rikert.
Independent photo/Steve James

“I had enough of the South,” said the Massachusetts native. “I still have a place and my yoga retreats there, but I’ve felt a calling to be in Vermont ever since high school 20 years ago. I quit my 9-5 job four years ago, bought a one-way ticket to Mexico and did my yoga training. I decided I’m going to do what feels good to me. I want to be of service, be part of a local economy and give back to my community.”

Leah’s sister was here in Vermont, so when the duo both found themselves split from their partners and looking for a new chapter, she decided to pack up and move north to launch this new food trailer endeavor.

“My twin sis and I have never lived together in the past decade, and have never done business together,” Rachel explained, “but it has always been on the back burner.”

Both Leah and Rachel had previous experience in the food service industry — with their exes. Leah travelled around to music festivals doing concessions and Rachel worked for five years running the snack bar at Branbury State Park (after she spent five years running the nature center at the Lake Dunmore park).

“Leah really initiated all this,” Rachel said. “She’s the one who quit her full-time job and is cultivating this opportunity to do yoga, wellness, events and food.”

Rachel describes her role with So-Full Sisters as “in the background.” She works full-time as a Memory Care Engagement Coordinator at Eastview in Middlebury. And when she’s not at work, she’s a single mom and homeschool teacher to her two daughters (ages three and six). In her “spare time” she helps her sister with the business side of So-Full Sisters.

“We balance each other out,” said Rachel, who shares her apartment in Bristol with her daughters and sister. “Leah’s got the smile, she’s great at marketing and has all the energy — so she’s out there in the trailer most of the time. I’m coming up with recipes, doing Excel sheets and the logistic side of things.”

LEAH AND RACHEL Klatzker
Independent photo/Steve James

“This is both of our dreams,” Leah added. “I have the flexibility to throw myself into it 100% right now.”

“I fell in love with working for yourself and working with food during those five years at Branbury,” Rachel reflected. “It’s awesome to bring pleasure to people through connection and good food… My hopes and dreams is that this food trailer is successful. It’s in my heart of hearts that we’re doing all the right things.”

Leah and Rachel plan to have So-Full Sisters food trailer up at Rikert for the remainder of the ski season. Then they have plans to move to a new location on Route 7 in Middlebury. To find out where they’ll be next follow them on social media (Instagram @so_full_sisters and Facebook @So-full Sisters).

“For now we’re making a little bit of a wave in the community up at Rikert,” Rachel said. “It’s great that the food trailer is on wheels and we can move…. who knows where it will go next!”