After a successful test pop-up at Wingra Boats last year, Marigold Kitchen went all in with lakeside food.
It debuted its Marigold Golden Flash Cart a month ago at Brittingham Boats on Lake Monona, the lakeside rental business under the same ownership as Wingra Boats.
“(The pop-up) was really popular, and we kind of wanted to go all in on lakeside dining,” said owner Clark Heine, who owns the business with his wife Kristy.
The cart hopes to fill a niche the Heines feel Madison doesn’t have enough of: lakeside eats.
“We think it really fills a hole in the city that needs accessible food by the water, close to the bike paths,” Clark Heine said. “We don’t really have a lot of that around here.”
On the menu is coffee, breakfast burritos, baked goods and rotating specials like the recent baja hamburger and strawberry lemonade.
The cart will stay focused on food that leans a little bit more mobile and easier to eat lakeside, as well as fresh juices.
The vibe on a recent Thursday afternoon at Brittingham Boats was chill. People rented kayaks and pedal boats. Others grabbed iced coffee from Marigold as they kept to their routines. And some families and friends enjoyed food from the cart.
Heine is seeing more people each week as word-of-mouth builds, and the weather becomes sunnier.
The cart will be on Lake Monona at Brittingham Boats for the rest of the summer, Thursday through Sunday, from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Marigold is also serving food at Wingra Boats on Tuesdays from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Heine said he isn’t opposed to someday having multiple food carts in operation at each Madison Boats location, of which there are four.
“There needs to be more smaller food on the water and stuff that’s great for families,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be overpriced or anything like that.
“And we’re just really excited to be here. We think it’s a positive thing for the community and a service that we really want to be a part of.”
