This has really taken off in Otown and surrounding areas here in FL. Some decent grub and I'm hitting them up every week. These are a step above the ol roach coach trucks. They have "Frenzies" a few nights every week at different spots. There is even a permanent 24/7 lot in Winter Park that always has trucks. I went to one Monday and had braised short ribs with onion and fennel on homemade bread. Then Death by Brownie made with some sorta Ecuadorean chocolate. Going this evening to another Frenzy. One truck has a brick oven complete with chimney firing up pizza. Then there is the YumYum cupcake truck... Is it wrong that I'm excited for this? Food Truck Wars 40 trucks, this will require some strategery!
It's big everywhere I think. So many "chefs" in the world and not enough restaurants or backers for a solo venture. Food trucks are cheaper and easier by comparison. You'll actually fine some fine chefs in some.
It isn't always that cheap to build one, and there is a lot of contention between brick and mortar spots and the trucks. The guy who has the lease on a building gets pissy when the "fly by night" truck parks three doors away. A brand new, built to order truck runs between $100K and $200K, depending on size and kitchen setup. They are cool, and there is some great food coming out of some of these rigs.
there is this new (to tucson) thing called the food truck round up every few weeks. Huge vacant lot near downtown on a sunday evening and any and all food trucks make like a huge circle and there is live music and tables and plenty of bitches walking around. I think there might be one this weekend. Been real good with what im eating, but cant help sample 1 or 7 food trucks.
Dave, sort of. The truck I built and am partners in is a rolling farmers market. Nothing is cooked, it's all ingredients - beef, pork, chicken, produce, cheese, eggs, pasta, grains, etc. Basically, everything people drag ass out of bed for on a Saturday morning, but with the truck coming to you during the week instead of the early morning.
The Sentinel did an article a couple of weeks ago. Gotta watch the video! I think its a splendid idea. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...1_bikini-baristas-coffee-shop-coffee-industry
Food truck thing is big here too... I hadn't heard of it before I moved back, but I have a friend who's a food blogger here and knows some of them. Its exactly as someone else said - some of them are chefs who got tired of the same run of the mill stuff at someone else's restaurant, and didn't have the means to start a brick and mortar place. One of the best food trucks is Nashville is Riff's Fine Street Food - they've got a little of everything, Korean BBQ, little bit of soul food, little bit of Caribbean... its good stuff. Food truck group here started a Twitter account to let everyone know where they're going to be from day to day...
Okay, so here's my question - how does one avoid lawsuits when the "less-talented" apply? Its not like you can say, "you're not really qualified to serve coffee"...
Tons in DC and surrounding areas; you can find out where they will be in this area using this site: http://foodtruckfiesta.com/ I hit them up once every few weeks. Some are really good, some are just plain bad ideas; for example, if you are ever tempted to eat a korean inspired burrito with kimchi, dont. Things I just cant wrap my head around, paying $15 for a lobster roll out of a truck, and $4 for one regular sized cupcake.
This is pretty big back home in Miami as well, late night the trucks all converge at the park and it's a whole new social scene, DJ's and drunks to boot.
There was an oriental roach coach that came to the Orlando airport, probably still does. The food was always great and the lines were always long. I always wondered though, where do these folks wash their hands?
Simple. You are hiring models. What those models do to occupy their time is serve coffee. They're models first and foremost. A bare-ista second.
I guess that's the one catch here.. I'm not sure any of the food trucks are allowed to sell alcohol... Driving an' all that...
last summer when I was in Austin there was a whole gaggle of trailer based eateries in a parking lot off Congress. Was only there a week... figure there were at least 20 unique meals to be had. Had a friend that lived in the Village a couple years and he always knew where the good "lunch carts" were. Especially in the summer time!
