Talal Harb has launched FalaFeel, a street food concept that is inspiring more and more people in Münsterland. Inspired by the Lebanese cuisine of his home country, he serves 100 per cent vegan dishes - fresh, sustainable and with ingredients from the region. In the meantime, the idea has become a successful business with catering, REWE cooperations and clear prospects for the future.
It all began with a snack van from the 1970s and a great deal of courage. In 2022, Talal decided to start his own project and bought the van. He converted it with some of his savings and FalaFeel was born: vegan, inspired by Lebanese home cooking and as regional as possible.
At FalaFeel, vegan food takes centre stage. Many ingredients come directly from farmers in the region, with onions and potatoes even grown in the company's own fields - this saves Talal purchasing costs and allows it to offer the dishes at a particularly affordable price. At the same time, the food remains fresh and sustainable. The packaging is also plastic-free and recycled. Talal's motto: healthy and sustainable does not automatically mean expensive.
FalaFeel quickly developed into a popular meeting place for vegan street food. Whether city festivals, festivals, weddings or company celebrations: Talal's dishes were in demand everywhere. Soon his old trolley was no longer sufficient. With the support of the Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsförderung im Kreis Warendorf (GFW) and a loan from NRW.Bank, he purchased a new, more professional truck. Over the past two years, Talal has been fully booked with his orders.
In addition to classic street food, Talal is increasingly focusing on catering for private parties and companies. "A truck can only be at one event, but with catering I can serve several orders at the same time," he explains. FalaFeel has recently gone one step further: in cooperation with REWE stores in Beckum and Dolberg, vegan dishes from Talal's kitchen will soon be available at the fresh food counter.
Even with success, there are still challenges: Talal is currently working intensively on expanding the catering business, on a new website and on the professional implementation of REWE products - from packaging design to labelling, there is still a lot to do. His goal is clear: FalaFeel should grow in a controlled, authentic manner and with quality as the top priority. A franchise model or new locations are conceivable, but Talal remains realistic: "I want to consolidate first, then grow. Everything step by step."
"Don't wait until everything is perfect. Just do it," advises Talal and adds: "Stay in control. It's better to start and test with your own savings than to take risks straight away." His recipe for success: start small, gain experience and develop consistently.
