Schmear It: A bagel truck with a conscience

Penn grad David Fine is creating what he believes is Philadelphia's only food truck serving bagels.

Schmear It - a nod to the Yiddishism for spread - is due to roll out in mid-August; its locations will include Love Park and Drexel U. The bagel menu will push Fine on the road early for breakfast service, seguing into lunch.

The concept is like "Cold Stone Creamery for bagels," Fine told me. He starts with bagels from South Street Philly Bagels in Queen Village and offers build-your-own sandwiches based on a spread such as cream cheese, peanut butter, a vegan tofu and nut spread, tuna salad, or egg salad. Customers add ingredients to yield a custom sandwich, such as low-fat cream cheese, mango, and Sriracha or peanut butter, Nutella, and bananas. He'll serve La Colombe coffee.

Fine says he worked for almost two years after graduation in the nonprofit sector, where "I had an interest and passion for having a cause behind my work - a social mission. I started thinking, you might be able to do just as much good as a for-profit - like Warby Parker and Tom's of Maine - with a socially informed business model. I thought I'd create that for food."

The Schmear It truck - which Fine bought on eBay - will became a platform for local causes. He says he'll not only donate a portion of sales to a particular cause, "I'll market and promote that cause on the truck itself and on social media."

See his Facebook here.