If you live in New York or another major city, chances are you’ve encountered food trucks–those mobile eateries that serve everything from plain bagels and coffee to tacos to Chinese dumplings. According to Inc.com, these restaurants on wheels have been experiencing a resurgence lately, which has given rise to even more gourmet and exotic offerings. Perhaps it’s due to the recession–foodies still want their daily dose of deliciousness, but they want it quicker and they want it cheaper. Or perhaps it’s just because food from a truck is tasty–why, I’m not sure. But it is.
For those of you interested in getting into the food truck business, a word of caution: While most people will be delighted that they only have to walk ten feet from their office door or apartment building to get lunch, not everyone will be thrilled. In the past, some real estate management companies, especially on Wall Street, have complained about the presence of food trucks outside of their properties saying they offend the aesthetic of their block. In fact, just this summer, the management company in charge of the Portfolio office building on Hudson Street in Manhattan, complained that the Wafels and Dinges truck that had started to park outside every Tuesday looked “unprofessional.” The owners of the truck, who serve waffles and other desserts (“dinges” is the word for “things” in German), were reportedly asked to leave the area, but within a couple of days, they were back, and have been a Tuesday staple every since.
Another possible reason for the success of food carts in recent months is the rise of Twitter, which allows food truck owners and patrons to Tweet whenever the truck moves to a new place. That way, fans can know their favorite truck’s whereabouts whenever they get a hankering for waffles or, in the case of one San Francisco-based food truck, creme brulee. Twitter+food trucks=the perfect combination for a hungry world on the go.
Inc.–Start-Up Trends: Food Trucks
