The History of Food Trucks

Food is one of the basic human needs. Of course, it should be nutritious and balanced, but it would also be nice if it tastes good and is easily accessible. That’s where food trucks come into play. Let’s delve deeper into the subject and discover how something as common in our modern lives as food trucks came to be so popular.

How Food Trucks Have Gained Popularity

It’s no secret that, by its nature, fast food has always focused on the least socially protected segments of the population due to its cheapness. Therefore, such points appeared in remote and disadvantaged areas.

Over time, the pace of life grew, and snacking on the run slowly became the norm. Entrepreneurs have caught the trend and responded to these changes. So, back in 1872, one American resident decided to put his specially equipped van in front of the local newspaper building. True, the assortment at the dawn of the era of street food was not encouraging, and most people still preferred cafés and restaurants.

At the same time, it took quite a bit of time for the next step of evolution. Some restaurateurs have taken a chance and brought elements of exotic cuisine to the streets with almost no loss in the high quality of dishes. The costs for cooking and staffing were incomparably lower than at a full-fledged covered establishment, which favorably affected the prices on the menu. Thus, such an innovation was almost doomed to success. Some entrepreneurs decided on rather bold novelties, but more often the vans sold dishes that were more familiar to the eye.

The final concept of the food truck was thought up at the end of 2008, and it became the prototype of the modern business that began to spread around the world and that we can observe on the streets. Chef Roy Choi from Los Angeles created a mobile restaurant called “Kogi BBQ” where he began to offer dishes of Korean and Mexican cuisine that you can take with you or eat right on the street.

How Are Food Trucks Organized?

In fact, such a van is a mini-restaurant on wheels, and the equipment in it must be appropriate. The most obvious way to get a decent food truck is to make it practically on your own. Minibusses and minivans are most often taken as the basis, but you can also find configurations built on the basis of other commercial cars. Recently, specially equipped trailers are gaining popularity. For the base one may use a car from a USA car auction.

A large-scale modification or restyling of a vehicle can be quite costly because you need to acquire not only appliances and furniture but also completely replace the interior trim, work on the body, and equip the car with additional energy sources, a water tank, and gas equipment. By the way, you will also have to work on the aesthetic component of a food truck since the body is also an advertisement.

The reasons for the success of food trucks are exactly the same as those of fast food chains. Minimum time spent, relatively affordable price, and convenient location. Agreed, it’s much more convenient to grab something to eat along the way than to book a table in advance and adjust the route to the location of a decent restaurant.

Moreover, this industry is much more flexible and ready to adapt to the needs of customers. The menu is usually not only seasonal but also in line with modern trends. Now, you can find not only burgers and hot dogs but also, for example, Asian or Greek cuisine, as well as dishes specifically for vegetarians.

What Is the Difference Between a Van and a Regular Stationary Catering Establishment?

To realize how food trucks have become so popular and reveal all the benefits they have, let’s compare the key distinctions between a common restaurant, café, or bar and the food vans that provide what follows:

• Mobility. In this case, visitors don’t come to the café, but it comes to visitors. The ability to move allows this business to come to the client on its own, instead of attracting it to itself in all possible ways. At the same time, you can limitlessly expand geography and develop new areas.
• There is no time limit on work. As you know, a restaurant should be open all the time, even if there are no customers. The food truck can be closed at any time.
• During mass events, a food truck can be placed in the most beneficial place near crowds.
• Full contact with the staff. This is one of the main advantages of the van. Customers have the opportunity to see the cooking process and talk to the employees. Many stationary establishments have come to this for a long time. At the same time, this contact is carried out in a more informal setting on the street.

The benefits we provided here are significant, aren’t they? From the client’s standpoint, there is nothing easier than food trucks: come, pay, and grab your snack. That’s why a combination of vehicles and F&B is so successful.

Food on the Wheels

If a person decides to get into the street food industry, particularly by buying a food truck on car auction, the business plan and responsible approach will help gain as many benefits as possible. The opportunities that are available in this field are huge. Parks, embankments, squares in front of shopping centers, music festivals, sporting events, and any other busy places—this is the area for food trucks. So, considering food trucks as a business is quite reasonable.