Rise of the Food Truck Rodeo
Similar to how culinary courses online allow aspiring chefs to learn cooking skills at home, food trucks are giving restaurateurs the ability to bring food directly to their customers. Over the past few years food trucks have taken over urban metropolises, college towns loaded with pedestrian traffic, county fairs and the roadsides in between.
Why food trucks?
The versatility of a food truck allows chefs to work in a smaller kitchen with a limited menu, giving them a chance to focus on making a specific dish. Popular food truck menus include grilled cheese, sandwiches, tacos and hamburgers. Though food trucks have their own set of expenses, such as additional gas and waste removal costs, they generally are less expensive to run than a traditional restaurant and require less staffing. Food trucks also have a natural sense of locality. Even if food trucks move around a specific community, they dedicate themselves to serving multiple neighborhoods, creating a routine to garner loyal patrons as well as new customers.
In general, food trucks also have strong social media connections, revealing where they might be for lunch or dinner via Facebook or Twitter. The majority of people that follow food trucks over social media visit them weekly. This also creates a relationship with patrons outside of serving them food. Furthermore, food trucks tend to be faster than sit-down restaurants, while still providing high-quality food. This makes them particularly popular during lunch hours, when most workers are limited on time. Another benefit of food trucks is that competition is friendly, and in many cases, spurs business.
What is a food truck rodeo?
A food truck rodeo, also sometimes known as a food truck roundup or festival, is a gathering of food trucks at a specific location. Food truck rodeos usually take place at parks, downtown hubs or major public events. {revise – I’d split this up into two sentences} Sometimes as many as 50 or more food trucks come together for these events, which feature special challenges between trucks, such as taco showdowns. These communal gatherings offer a balanced and diverse selection of food, giving each esoteric truck a chance to show off their signature flavors. Simultaneously, they offer the public an opportunity to sample the fares of numerous trucks and develop a following for their favorites.
The food truck rodeo is a collegial way of encouraging community involvement, gaining patronage and making food the ultimate playing field.