There's only so much barbecue you can produce on a food cart, so MeatVentures, Hamilton's answer to all-things carnivorous, wants to graduate to a truck.

Owner Salar Madadi launched his cart in May after several years of making a hobby out of barbecue competitions.

He and his wife, Jeannie Crawford, saw the cart as a means to dip their toes into the mobile food business without diving right into the big costs of a full-scale truck.

"We needed to see whether he liked it and whether people liked the food before we jumped off the cliff," said Crawford.

Now they know those answers.

Madadi loves the food business and people raved about the food he served at Hamilton's growing food truck events.

So he's ready to give up his full-time job in IT. But he needs a truck to extend his season and to be able to produce bigger volumes of food.

They've borrowed the money to get a truck custom built and have launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding drive to raise $15,000 to outfit it with a high-quality generator and a rooftop sign, along with wrapping the truck in logos.

They are about 40 per cent of the way to the goal.

"I have no doubt in his ability to make great food," said Crawford, who is a real estate agent. "The big issue is getting it into more people's stomachs."

"A part-time cart isn't enough," added Madadi. "And it's too much work to just be a hobby."

Madadi, who is half Filipino and half Iranian, describes his food as international barbecue. He borrows from plenty of ethnic cuisines but doesn't really care about traditions.

Signature dishes include Madadi's bacon cr�me br�l�e and The Bacon Fatty, a bacon-weaved meatloaf sandwich. He even came up with a twist on a hotdog after being asked so many times if he served them.

"I want to do things that are different. If it tastes good, I will put it together."

The couple says the advice and support of the owners of Roux Commissary and other food truck operators has been invaluable. And their decision to move to Hamilton from Toronto three years ago makes it all possible, they say.

That's due to the thriving local food truck scene and the much lower cost of housing, which means they aren't locked into a huge mortgage. The couple, who married in September 2012, bought a three-bedroom house in the North End.

They make a point of supporting local charities, including the button jar at 541 Barton Eatery & Exchange and the Hamilton Dream Centre. One of their rewards in their crowd-funding campaign is to provide a Christmas morning package for families in need.

The couple's experience at the World Food Championships in Las Vegas this month solidified their decision to take the risk. Madadi qualified in the bacon category after winning The Canadian Bacon Championships in New Hamburg.

The Las Vegas contest included 400 teams in nine categories. Thirty-five of them were vying for the bacon crown and the $10,000 prize.

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In the chef's choice first round, the couple prepared a Korean- and Filipino-inspired bacon slider with kimchi. Delivering the plates to the judges came down to a sprint and they weren't garnished as planned.

The second round required teams to produce a kicked-up version of bacon and eggs. Crawford struggled to peel the soft-boiled eggs, which were to be coated in panko bread crumbs and deep fried.

In the end, the couple wasn't among the top 10 teams to go on to the next round and a chance to compete for the $100,000 grand prize. It was disappointing, but they joked that placing 11th would be the worst way to finish.

Sure enough, when the scores were revealed the next morning, they missed being in the top 10 by 0.3 of a point on a score of 100.