Locals flock to this Veteran-owned food truck for handcrafted Southwest flavors

Kris Runk started Chow Korral as a way to reconnect with art and creativity. Photo: Provided.

Fresh out of high school, Arizona native Kris Runk enlisted in the United States Marine Corp. She served for 8 years during wartime. She was deployed to Iraq as an armored vehicle operator and spent her time running clearance routes checking for bombs and clearing the way for troops. During her time in the Marines  she met her husband and relocated to Central Pennsylvania.

Runk always considered herself a foodie and recalled how she’d make new, interesting desserts for herself and her dad to enjoy together. Coffee and dessert was “their thing.” Struggling to move forward after he passed away in 2020, she found herself missing home.

“Grind hard in the hustle you have to do to fund the hustle you want to do,” she said. “If you try and fail, you learn! And then you go back to the drawing board and try again. Use the resources available to you and dream big.”

“As I sat there in complete shock and despair realizing that my best friend, the man I always looked up to, was gone. I was lost. I felt empty and a deep yearning for home and the comfort foods that we used to share. In that sadness, a new idea came to me—what if I brought that comfort here… If I made desserts and resurfaced the artistic and creative foodie that had always been inside of me? Maybe it would help me to heal. So…that’s exactly what I did. I bought a horse trailer and converted it into a food truck!” she said.

After serving in the Marines for 8 years, she and her husband ultimately settled in Central PA. Photo: Provided.

Chow Korral opened its window in April 2022. “I wanted to incorporate all the things that make me happy. The horse trailer screams Arizona. It’s a whole vibe, I have old license plates from Arizona, the American Flag I flew in Iraq. The name was a mash up of my roots—Chow from my military background and Korral from the Southwest,” Runk shared.

She was quick to admit she didn’t know what she was doing outside of combining ingredients to make delectable dishes. “I created a piece of home, and I brought it here. I knew the baking, finding the best ingredients and sourcing locally. What I didn’t know was how to run a business,” she said.

“I would never have tried this here if it weren’t for Startup Alleghenies and HCBI. I am so far from my hometown. I don’t know the resources; I didn’t have the hookups and support. That is what Startup Alleghenies gave me. They gave me family,” Runk said. “Christa has helped to empower me to grow this business and believe in myself.”

Runk has taken advantage of the no-cost services offered by Startup Alleghenies to take her business to the next level. “I have attended workshops and bootcamps that have helped me with everything from marketing to funding. I almost didn’t try this and now I am seeing success I could have only dreamed of,” she said.

Within 8 months, Runk quit her job to run the food truck full time. “This community is what has made this successful.” Photo: Provided.

Startup Alleghenies coach Christa McGeary said, “Kris’s passion is unmatched. She pours herself into her craft. The quality is there, and the taste point is there. We were able to come alongside her and guide her to propel her to success,” she said.

Success is understatement. What started as setting up a coffee stand at occasional weddings has grown to beyond capacity bookings. In less than 8 months, Runk quit her day job as a nurse at the VA Hospital to run Chow Korral full time. “People show up. Rain or shine, no matter where I am. This community is what has made this successful,” she said.

“Christa has helped to empower me to grow this business and believe in myself.”

Being a transplant to Central PA, she was certain people only liked meatloaf and whoopie pies. “My foods aren’t Amish-made and they are a far cry from what people are accustomed to here in Huntingdon County,” she laughed. “I quickly realized that people here do want something different. They were driving past my competitors to come to me!”

“There is a handcrafted component to every single thing I hand out my window,” Runk said. Photo: Provided.

Chow Korral is a full experience. It’s that uniqueness that drives the business. “I am passionate about the little things that make this a whole experience. There is a handcrafted component to every single thing I hand out my window. I love that I can say that my strawberry lemonade is fresh-squeezed and that my coffee is sourced locally from Sarah at Westfall Coffee Co,” Runk said.

Beyond her healing journey, Runk wants her story to encourage others, especially Veterans. “Grind hard in the hustle you have to do to fund the hustle you want to do,” she said. “If you try and fail, you learn! And then you go back to the drawing board and try again. Use the resources available to you and dream big.”

Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.