FOOD & DRINK
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 5, 2020
Food & Drink
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Virus puts brakes on food trucks
BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer
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rick-and-mortar restaurants weren’t the only food businesses taking a devastating �inancial hit in the coronavirus pandemic. Food trucks, especially those that cater to large events and private events, have also lost thousands of dollars in revenue – but that isn’t stopping some of them from continuing to give back, particularly to the medical community. Greg Golden, the owner of food truck Mustache Pretzels, which typically operates out of southern Scottsdale, said that the coronavirus brought business to a “screeching halt.” “Spring training was called off and virtually every event we had on the calendar – school carnivals, proms, corporate events, arts festivals, etc. – has been canceled,” Golden said. Spring is Mustache Pretzels’ busiest time of the year. This year in particular, Golden was projecting to do about 50 percent of their annual sales before the end of March. “The loss of the spring training, alone, probably cost us about $50,000 in revenue,” Golden said. Other food trucks, like The Maine Lobster Lady, shut down completely for the remainder of the season. “We are totally family run, and I decided to try and protect my family by shutting down,” said owner Diana Santospago. “We are not out in the thick of things, like some of my fellow truckers,” she added. “They are the ones on the forefront, trying to keep their wheels turning in unprecedented times.” Maine Lobster Lady was hit by four big event cancellations, including the Tempe Art Festival. Leading up to ceasing operations March 14, however, the Maine Lobster Lady was selling Lobster Roll Kits for customers to
“The Coronavirus has pretty much brought us to a screeching halt,” said Mustache Pretzels food truck owner Greg Golden. (Mustache Pretzels)
make at home. “Some trucks are doing a great job with grab-and-go options; some are offering free delivery and others are partnering with healthcare facilities to help keep those working on the front lines well fed,” Golden said. Costantino’s Italian Kitchen’s food trucks are helping to feed the medical community. On April 1, they were parked outside Mayo Clinic Shea – a �irst for the food truck. “The Mayo Clinic requested food trucks because their cafeteria is partially closed. They want their people to be able to purchase lunch while still practicing social distancing and other precautionary measures,” said Chris Costantino, owner and executive chef of Costantino’s Italian Kitchen. “We are happy to serve a business that wants to support food trucks, and we are particularly proud to serve the medical community, given all they do for our community,” he added.” Costantino’s Italian Kitchen has previ-
ously served lunch at Mayo Hospital. Every couple of months, they – along with two to four additional food trucks, including Eur Haus – serve around 300 medical professionals and staff. “The food truck industry, in a way, was built for serving our community during a time like this,” said Eur Haus owner Anna Mineer. “We have been honored to help serve the healthcare workers that are on the frontlines of this pandemic, but that, too, is limited,” she added. Previously, Eur Haus worked with a 55plus community, bringing them food and household supplied every Sunday; but that has since been canceled due to increased coronavirus concerns. “Our once-packed schedule has been wiped clean. We normally work at least six days a week and now are lucky if we get one lunch stop a week,” Mineer said, adding that they make roughly 40 percent of their income during the spring months.
“All of our employees are suffering at minimum by cutting hours, some have lost their jobs completely,” Mineer added. “But unless it’s safe to resume serving at large-scale events in the next month or so,” he added, “we’re going to have to lay our team off.” Food trucks’ respective catering businesses are non-existent, including Costantino’s Italian Kitchen’s. “Since many people are working from home, our corporate lunch events have either been cancelled or there are not enough people coming out to the truck to make them pro�itable,” he said. The food truck community is a close-knit one, Constantino added, and they’ve been working together to support one another at this time. “There are food truck event organizers that are working very hard to �ind new events to replace the ones that are being cancelled,” Constantino said. According to Golden, people who would like to help food trucks can schedule fall 2020 and winter/spring 2020-2021 private events now “and get deposits paid well in advance.” Constantino suggests ordering delivered meals from food trucks through Grubhub and Uber Eats. “Or, if you see a food truck parked at a location that is not private, stop and take something home for dinner that evening,” he said. “And if you’re a business owner, once we get through these dif�icult times and your employees return to work, it would be great if you would consider having a food truck out to serve your employees.” “We appreciate your love and support, and we just want everybody to stay well,” Golden added. “As the old saying goes, ‘This, too, shall pass.’” To �ind a food truck near you, visit streetfood�inder.com.
