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There was a troubling take the other day calling food trucks an inferior way to order food. False. Some of the best, most unique food you will find are on food trucks, and food trucks give Americans an excellent, affordable option to open a restaurant. I have no idea why anyone would think otherwise, and it’s time to reassure the people that this is only a belief of a small lunatic fringe of Americans.
The implication that food is inferior just because it is made in a truck is completely asinine. In fact, it’s un-American. Food trucks are the final frontier for the American restaurant entrepreneur. This isn’t grandma and grandpa’s economy when you could buy a storefront and start up a brick and mortar restaurant for five figures. The median cost of opening a restaurant is $275,000. If you want to own the building the restaurant will be in, it’s more like $425,000. Now, I don’t know about you, but I would venture to guess your average restauranteur doesn’t have half a million sitting around, and getting a sizable six figure loan from a bank is a long shot for most people unless you’re going back to school to get a masters degree in feminist dance philosophy.
A food truck can cost $50,000 to $100,000 to get started depending on the equipment you need and the customizations you want. You can drive to where your customers are. You can bring your restaurant wherever the government will let you set up shop. There are concerts, food truck parks, festivals, state and county fairs, and special food truck events. And you can have limited SKUs with lower overhead and still sell ten dollar plates. It’s an amazing opportunity for people to start up a business, and that’s what the American Dream is all about.
The idea that food trucks are just two hipsters with a dream to make diesel infused tacos is misguided at best. In my extensive food truck experience, ranging from Los Angeles to New York City to Atlanta, food trucks are started up by people of various ethnic, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Food trucks are a melting pot. They are America.
You can get unique, delicious food at food trucks. Just like any other restaurant, you can look them up online and check their reviews. You can follow them on social media and see where they will be. Some food trucks even have an almost cult following, like WOW Food Truck in Atlanta or Baby’s Badass Burgers in Los Angeles. I’ve had Polynesian pork tacos, soul food-Mexican fusion at a truck called the “Blaxican,” shredded barbecue pork over cheese grits at WOW (smoked 20 hours), amazing Asian fusion tacos smothered in Sriracha in Santa Monica, and other unique spins on traditional and ethnic dishes. It has all been delicious, and the food is restaurant quality.
I honestly have no idea what would possess someone to have an anti-food truck take unless they just don’t have any good food trucks nearby, they had one or two bad experiences, or they’re too busy stuffing a Big Mac in their face to see anything else. But you’re more than free to rob yourself of a delicious, unique culinary experience, that just means more for me. If you’re looking for me, you can catch me at Yumbii..
Respond
@5OClockShadow_
I walk out the office and I see like twenty food trucks within three blocks. Thai, Burgers, Greek, Italian, Halal, Tacos, etc. etc.
They’re inherently American and I’m not even being sarcastic. I will shop them because I know the person behind the wheel is just trying to achieve their dream.
Really solid article here.
5OClockShadow to Arcadia:
Thanks, now I’m hungry again
My only complaint with our food trucks is they are $15 for a mediocre sandwich and park where there is no seating nearby.
MN doesn’t have deep fried sammiches?
Not good ones
Surely we do at the State Fair.
For once, I agree with you
Go home
Thank you for setting the record straight. This article is both Correct and Good. Let’s move past this asinine debate.
One of the coolest stories from when I was in college was about a guy who started a smoothie food truck on campus that the students absolutely loved. The guy was so great and outgoing and everyone loved him because they could see him working to achieve his dreams. Nothing is more American than that.
http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/on-campus-smoothie-truck-business-on-track-for-1-million/
These are my favorite entrepreneur stories. The social media mogul stories don’t really hit you like the stories of the guys who got rich in the trenches grinding it out.
ATL FTW
My brother in law bought a food truck 2 or 3 years ago and he’s done a pretty nice job of growing it. His food is really good and I’m a super picky eater. My favorite are his pierogis and his duck fat fries. Needless to say, big food truck fan.
This was beautiful
Currently living in a place that doesn’t have food trucks. PGP.