Keep on truckin’ this summer

There are more than a few challenges, but food truck operators find plenty of satisfaction in what they do

Bill Atwood

Observer Staff WITH FOOD TRUCK SEASON COMING back into full swing, three operators are shining a light on what it takes to run such a business and the differences between it and having a stationary restaurant.

“It’s very much a scientific process,” said Alex Fegaras, owner of FunnelCloud, which specializes in funnel cakes.

Fegaras has been in the restaurant industry for

20 years. This is his third season operating FunnleCloud, after previously owning an Italian food truck. The biggest difference is the ability to go to a different scene each day, he said.

“As a restaurant chef, you’re going to the same location in the same four walls every day – it gets a little mundane. Whereas in a food truck, you have the opportunity to open up in a brand new spot every day of the week,” Fegaras said.

There is also a lot more behind the scenes work than with a stationary restaurant, Fegaras explained.

“So, for me to go and set up somewhere in Kitchener, I need to get a special events permit. So every time I go somewhere where it’s a festival, I have paperwork to fill out from regional jurisdictions, health, fire licensing; I’d say probably 40 per cent of a food truck operator’s time is designated to administration and accounting.”

While festivals are a big part of what food trucks do, there is also a lot of prep work that goes into planning for the day, said Christian Giffin, owner of Hometown Hot Dogs, which he started with his wife and son in 2021.

“For the week before, I’m setting up my orders, I am estimating what kind of volume we’re going to have. And based on that estimate, I order X amount of bread, X amount of meat, X amount of toppings. All these things have to be considered. You need to make sure your payment systems are working and make sure you have enough cash,” he said. Depending on the event, truck owners may change their menus to fit the crowds they’re expecting. For larger events with several thousand people, → FOOD TRUCKS 28

The Elmira District Community Living is recruiting board members who will bring leadership and strategic governance to a non-profit organization supporting people with intellectual disabilities.