Green Mountain Ramen expands with new food truck on Route 9 | Local News - Alo Japan

Ken Ijichi, owner of Green Mountain Ramen, prepares food at the new food truck on Route 9 in Brattleboro on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. The food truck is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., while supplies last.

By Kristopher Radder,
Brattleboro Reformer

BRATTLEBORO — Green Mountain Ramen is taking its organic, community-focused approach to a new location, with owner Ken Ijichi recently opening a food truck in the parking lot of Vermont Bud Barn on Vermont Route 9.

The new food truck gives customers another way to enjoy Green Mountain Ramen while allowing Ijichi to grow the business at a pace that fits its resources.

“I guess cosmic, because this was on sale,” Ijichi said when asked why he decided to expand into a food truck. “If nobody, if this was not on sale, we would not be here.”

For Ijichi, the move is part of a larger effort to keep the business moving toward its goal of using organic and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

Green Mountain Ramen switched to organic vegetables last year, and Ijichi said he hopes the food truck will help the business move further toward purchasing local ingredients and other products.

Ken Ijichi, owner of Green Mountain Ramen, cooks up ramen noodles for a dish inside the new food truck on Route 9 in Brattleboro on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. The food truck is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., while supplies last.

Ken Ijichi, owner of Green Mountain Ramen.

“We want to do all organic and all local if possible,” he said. “We might be able to get to that goal much sooner [with the food truck].”

The food truck also comes with considerably lower overhead, Ijichi said, making it possible for the business to expand without taking on more than it can handle.

Rather than immediately increasing the number of days the truck operates, Ijichi is taking a measured approach.

The food truck is currently open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., as long as supplies last.

The original plan was to operate four days a week, but strong demand has led the business to sell out on multiple occasions.

“We’ve been selling out, which is great,” Ijichi said.

On some days, the ramen has sold out several hours before closing time. Ijichi said the limited storage capacity of his home kitchen has also made it difficult to purchase ingredients in larger quantities and prepare food in bulk.

For now, the three-day schedule gives the business an opportunity to build capital for equipment such as a refrigerator and freezer, which would increase its storage capacity.

“It’s a good problem,” Ijichi said of selling out.

The food truck has also brought a new learning curve for Ijichi. Although he continues to prepare food in his home kitchen, the truck’s serving space presents a different set of challenges than working in a full commercial kitchen.

“Every single version of food is a different game,” he said. “So I’m learning a whole new game in doing this format.”

The expansion is intentionally gradual.

“We’re expanding organically,” Ijichi said. “More people come, I can grow it quicker.”

That philosophy also extends to Green Mountain Ramen’s community-oriented payment model. The business continues to offer a “pay what you can” and “pay it forward” approach, allowing customers to contribute additional money to help cover meals for others.

Ijichi said some customers have given an extra $20 or $30 so someone else can afford to eat.

“We definitely want people to come by,” he said. “We want this place to be a place they can get organic food and local food.”

The future location of the food truck is still being determined. Ijichi said he is actively looking for another location and is considering options for the winter months. A previous food truck at the Route 30 location operated during the winter, giving him hope that Green Mountain Ramen may be able to do the same.

In addition to the regular food truck schedule, Green Mountain Ramen plans to continue participating in festivals and pop-up events.

The business is preparing for the next Gallery Walk, which Ijichi described as another opportunity to test and refine the food truck operation.

For Ijichi, the goal remains straightforward: provide food that is organic, local when possible, and accessible to the community.

“We really want to feed people the good organic local food that people really want,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do here.”