Popular Smorgasburg Vendor Raises Funds to Pay for Stolen Van

Smorgasburg vendor Super Frites is reeling after thieves stole its van and equipment in early March. Last week, the owners launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign to raise $20,000 and get back to business serving Belgian-style fries at ROW DTLA.

Husband and wife owners Sam and Ashley Augé bought an older van to start their business, which also stored all their equipment. The Augés launched Super Frites last July, and found a loyal base for Belgian frites at the ROW outdoor food market. In the last month, they started making a profit, looking to increase production and pay back creditors.

On March 1, Sam Augé parked the Super Frites van near his home, only to find it disappeared overnight. The couple will receive insurance money for the missing equipment, but not the vehicle, which only maintained liability coverage. They launched the GoFundMe to pay back their debt, replace equipment, and return to Smorgasburg.

Seven days in, the Super Frites GoFundMe is more than halfway to its goal with $10,835 raised. The Augés won’t disappear from Smorgasburg entirely — they’ll return to the Sunday food festival this weekend with a frites burger, and hope to be fully operational towards the end of March.

Super Frites’s comeback is a common tale with LA restaurants. When a car plowed through El Sereno’s Holy Grounds Coffee and Tea, the business utilized GoFundMe to get back on its feet. The Augés will man the Super Frites stand at Smorgasburg from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. this Sunday, and the GoFundMe campaign has no end date.

Super Frites at Smorgasburg LA. 777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA

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