Vesko Valchev, a street food vendor in Toronto, has developed a reputation of serving hotdogs with a side of spiritual wisdom.
"When I make hotdogs, I put my love inside... I put my soul inside," he told HuffPost Rise in a recent video.
His cart, he says, is his "castle." But it wasn't always that way.
Valchev moved to Canada in 1991 from his native Bulgaria in search of a new life. He opened a restaurant that failed, leaving him bankrupt, and went through a period of depression before finding his footing again.
"I detached from the material physical world," Valchev told HuffPost Rise.
One day, Valchev decided to make 100 ham and mayo sandwiches and went to the Salvation Army to hand them out to poor and homeless people. From then on he decided to dedicate himself to serving the community rather than striving for personal success. Just a month into this new life, he said, he already felt happier and more alive than ever.
"I discovered that when I give, I start to be alive," Valchev said.
To this day Valchev doesn't turn down customers who can't afford a hotdog. He uses his cart as part charity, part restaurant and part temple, sharing spiritual wisdom with those who stop by for a bite.
Hear some of Valchev's wisdom in the HuffPost Rise video above. This video was produced by Alex Kushneir and edited by Ethan Kirby.
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