ROCKPORT — The latest eatery to join the trend of food trucks appearing in the Midcoast is actually not a truck. It’s a converted school bus painted blue. 

The Rockport Harbor Food Bus is the brainchild of Rockport resident Bobby Morgan, owner of Camden’s El Ancla and a partner in the Flatbread Company, which has a location in Rockport. 

Morgan, who said it was a no-brainer for him to open up an establishment at Rockport Harbor, gained his inspiration to covert a school bus to an eatery years ago when seeing others around the country do the same. 

Food trucks can cost upwards of $30,000 to $40,000 whereas Morgan’s bus only cost around $15,000 to $20,000 thanks, in part, to locals who were thrilled at the prospect of converting the bus. 

“There [were] some plumbers that just loved the idea of wrapping their heads around this thing,” Morgan said, gesturing to the water supply setup, which was one of the larger obstacles, he said, to overcome since regulations require certain standards be met for water supply. 

“It’s taken awhile to get certain things working on the bus because it’s a school bus, it’s not a kitchen, but we’ve designed a kitchen in there,” he said about the kitchen area which includes a wood-fired oven. 

Morgan, who spoke about the beautiful harbor view his customers enjoy, recalled the days he would grab a bite at Fox on the Run and how he jumped at the chance to fill the void when he learned harbormaster Abbie Leonard was seeking a new eatery to operate in the harbor’s parking lot. 

The food bus was established as a way for Morgan to offer food on wheels separate from Flatbread’s mobile oven.

The breakfast menu includes an assortment of smoothies, coffee, tea that can be paired with cinnamon buns and scones from Rosalie Joy’s Bakery in Camden.

The lunch menu presently includes cheese and lobster quesadillas, hot dogs and burritos featuring pulled pork, chicken or roasted veggies. The burritos — which come with rice, beans, corn, tomato, lettuce and cheese — can also be served in a bowl. 

Some days the lunch menu may be slightly altered with grilled cheese sandwiches and soup possibly making occasional appearances. 

At the time being, breakfast is served Mondays from 8 a.m. to noon with lunch served Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Operational hours are subject to change depending on weather conditions. 

Though the eatery’s primary base will be Rockport Harbor, across from the antique train engine, Morgan said they probably will travel to area festivals. 

Reach George Harvey at: sports@penbaypilot.com.