As with many second-generation executives that take the reins of a family business, Dan Gallery is putting his own imprint on the future of Gallery Inc.
After completing his college education at the University of Denver, Dan Gallery sought a career outside of the family business. He built a successful career in the mortgage and finance industry before returning to the family business which at the time was known as Carts of Colorado. As a tribute to the hard work of his Dad and Aunt, he made the decision to rebrand the company with the family name.
The Denver, CO manufacturer of mobile carts for food, beverage and retail businesses, has launched a unique partnership with AYRO, Inc. and Club Car to launch a new line of electric vehicles to help bring food, beverage, and retail merchandising safely to consumers.
With the exponential growth of delivery in the restaurant and foodservice sectors, the timing of Gallery’s entry into the E Vehicle space is perfectly timed. The custom-designed E Vehicles are designed and built by Gallery using AYRO’s Lithium-Powered Vendor Box on the Club Car 411 Vehicle to support mobile power for a range of on-board food service.
The new electric vehicles feature convenient hot and cold storage and dispensing to ensure food and beverage items are safely stored, transported and delivered. Operating on at least 50 percent of fuel costs, the zero-emissions vehicles require far less energy than full-sized, gas-powered food trucks and do not require any special charging infrastructure.
“As campuses and businesses prepare workplaces for the return of employees and guests, traditional dining experiences are not possible. Companies are looking for creative new ways to provide food & beverages,” noted Dan Gallery. “Instead of bringing people to the food, we are bringing food to the people and now, more than ever before, consumers need convenient grab-and-go options that are safe, reliable, and efficient.”
Gallery E Vehicles help food, beverage and merchandising operators bring their products directly to consumers. The environmentally friendly, cost-effective, fully customizable light duty vehicles are the latest in Gallery’s line-up of innovative products being used in venues across the country, from major NFL stadiums to colleges and universities, conference centers, airports and malls.
“At AYRO, we pride ourselves in being able to quickly deploy purpose-built electric vehicles in order to enable sustainable fleets. We serve a wide range of industries that each experience unique challenges, but by collaborating with our customers and partners like Gallery, we can custom engineer solutions that fulfill specific needs – such as bringing food and other resources safely to the point of demand, reducing noise and emissions, and providing cost savings,” added AYRO CEO Rod Keller.
For more than 40 years, Gallery has supplied thousands of mobile food kiosks and portables for many of the country’s top sports venues and household brands including Pepsico, YUM Brands, Starbucks and many more. This summer, Gallery also launched a set of UV light solutions and products to help venues and other public spaces in their reopening efforts during the pandemic.
The Gallery brand continues to grow in stature with recent installations at the new high-profile stadiums for the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders (Allegiance Field) and the SoFi Stadium that serves as home to the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. Gallery delivered some 1200 plus carts to support both suite service and concession dining in those venues.
The entry into the electric vehicle space once again exemplifies Dan Gallery’s ability to find a unique opportunity. “A couple of years ago, we had a client that was purchasing electric vehicles that needed to be customized for use at major airports, Dan Gallery said. The vendor that was going to do the build-out for them passed on the business, so we were asked to step in. After being hesitant, I’m glad we did. We built the three vehicles for them and realized it was something that we could handle.”
With that expertise added to Gallery’s portfolio, the company has become a premier provider of electric food carts throughout the nation. Most recently, Salem State University in Massachusetts has added one of Gallery’s vehicles to their foodservice operation. Gallery is also in the process of completing electric carts for use hockey power Colorado College’s new Robson Arena that is salted to open in 2021.
Gallery sees the use of mobile carts and electric vehicles growing as the result of the Pandemic. “Carts enable a foodservice operator to centralize the preparation of food with the safety protocol of a central commissary and then ensure the quality and consistency of what is being sold and served to guests and customers. Whether you’re running to class, on your way into the office, or heading to catch a flight, we all need convenient on-the-go food and beverage choices right now, and we need to know they are safe,” said Gallery.
Dan Gallery has also designed the company’s product line to reflect the foodservice industry’s need to utilize labor efficiently. “We have designed a product line that enables a cart to use a single operator to load breakfast sandwiches in the morning at a centralized kitchen. So we have built-in both hot and refrigerated cabinets into our carts and trucks to streamline that process. We have even included building in coffee pots so that our operators are maximizing profits.”
Gallery’s trucks can then quickly be converted to use on a university campus for late-night service. The carts are being reloaded with pizza, prepackaged sandwiches and sodas that are safely providing service to campus dorms. “We see it with our college and university customers. They want to be able to load up and serve sandwiches and pizza that are fresh, tasty and safe,” Gallery explained. “It’s not uncommon during the day to see the carts being deployed in front of classroom buildings through the day.”
As with most manufacturers, Gallery has initiated a vision for the impact that the industry’s new safety protocols will have on the industry. “We are starting to add hand sinks and single and double door coolers that are using UV lighting to ensure safety,” he said. These new Gallery units are slated to make their debut at the University of Nebraska.
Dan Gallery’s vision has enabled the Colorado based company to emerge as a national leader in the production of custom and standard mobile, modular merchandising kiosks. The family-run company has produced more than 30,000 carts for over 5,000 venues in 50 states.
Texas-based AYRO, Inc., designs and delivers compact, emissions-free electric fleet solutions for use within urban and short-haul markets. Capable of accommodating a broad range of commercial requirements, AYRO’s vehicles are the emerging leaders of safe, affordable, efficient and sustainable logistical transportation.
