If you’ve as much as stepped foot into the heart of a booming metropolis in the last few years, chances are you’ve seen a food truck. Perhaps you’ve even sampled some one of a kind “street eats.” Even if you haven’t yet had the pleasure of stumbling upon a truck and biting into some signature grub, if you have cable you’ve most likely come across the Food Network series, “The Great Food Truck Race” while flipping channels. That’s right— August 22, 2013
food trucks have even earned a spot of stardom on their own reality TV show. The novelty of food trucks is that their mobility allows them to go where the people go—and in some cities—stay where the people stay. Depending on the degree of regulations that are in place, food trucks can typically be found roving about town, or parked in front of host establishments. Certain cities even boast entire lots dedicated to these restaurants on wheels, while local
alliance groups regularly hold “pop up” food truck rallies. Not only do food trucks offer unique, out of the box and on-the-go cuisine, they are proving to add vibrancy to areas within cities that may have previously gone overlooked, while serving to complement, rather than compete with, established food communities. Food trucks have become a growing trend not just within contained areas, but
nationwide, and one that remains on the up and up. Industry research from IBIS World reports that food trucks and carts grew 8. 4 percent from 2007 to 2012 and now make up a $1 billion industry, with more than 3,500 businesses employing upward of 15,500 persons. Northwest areas including San Francisco and Portland, Ore., and East Coast areas such as Washington D.C. have been leading the way for quite some time. 9