Food trucks in America are considered to be a brand new movement. However, mobile food has been alive and kicking as far back as the 1600s when street cart owners were considered by some to be unfair competition for brick-and-mortar restaurant owners. In this post, we take a brief look at the history of food trucks in America. From the first street vendors in the 1600s, to the chuck wagons of the Wild West, all the way to the modern gourmet food trucks that we're familiar with today. 1691 – New York City (previously New Amsterdam) starts regulating street vendors selling [...]

Food trucks transformed how food is served on land. But could the same culinary disruption be about to happen on boats as well? Is it even possible to start a food boat business? In fact, there are businesses that generate revenue in a similar way to food trucks, but with a boat instead. Usually these aqua based business operate only a short time of the year during peak tourist season at a lake or a busy harbor when other there are many other vessels in the water. Here's how the business model works. Most of these so called "food boats" [...]

Roy Choi proves there's no limit to the type of food business you can launch with a food truck. Choi's story is been well told. Starting in Los Angeles with a small food truck serving Korean tacos, he is credited with helping to launch the modern food truck movement as we know it. Now, only a decade after getting started, Choi has evolved into a celebrity chef with books, a fleet of food trucks, and now a collection of BBQ sauces available only at William's Sonoma. Choi's growth is astounding and impossible to replicate, but there's plenty of business lessons [...]

While there are many legal hurdles yet to jump, investors believe the legalization of marijuana products is (eventually) a foregone conclusion. Forbes reports the legal cannabis industry could hit $57 billion worldwide 2027. Marijuana is already permitted for recreational and medical use in nine states, including California, Alaska, and Washington. Of course, the use of this product, remains illegal at the federal level. But it’s legalization at the national level seems all but inevitable at this point, even if the process is expected to take a few years. There are all kinds of products of course that can be produced [...]

First, it was old delivery trucks that were converted into gourmet food trucks. Today, an increasing number of food vendors are serving meals from a converted school bus that’s been transformed into a commercial kitchen. In today’s post, we evaluate some of the best menu ideas we’ve seen on these converted school buses often referred to as food “skoolies” to help you determine if this type of build is the right choice for your business. Before jumping on the school bus bandwagon there are some important considerations to think about. First, a converted bus is a lot larger and longer [...]

The starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, Carson Wentz, has a new side gig as a food truck vendor. Well… Sort of. Wentz has a new charitable food truck named Thy Kingdom Crumb offering free meals to those in need in the Philadelphia area. The food truck made its debut in late August at Acme Markets in Philly. For the grand opening both Wentz and super-star teammate Zach Ertz distributed meals. If you live in the Philadelphia area, you can view the truck in person at regular season home games at Lincoln Financial Field throughout the year. The goal of [...]

Signing a long-term lease in a high-traffic shopping mall can be extremely expensive and risky if your food concept isn't proven. According to this article on MarketWatch.com, you should expect to pay between $50 - $100 per square foot monthly for the most desirable retail spaces in America. In smaller shopping malls in mid-size metro you can expect to pay more $15 - $25 per square foot. Either way, the monthly dues are significant. That means if you decide to lease a modest sized location, you can expect to pay $1,500 - $5,000 in rent minimum each month. This obligation [...]

A loncheras truck is a food truck serving Mexican faire like tacos and burritos. The rough translation of lonchera from Spanish into English is “lunch box.” These roaming vessels are often referred to as taco trucks as well. If you live in Los Angeles or the surrounding area the sight of a loncheras truck is nothing new. They’ve been serving affordable meals decades before the gourmet food truck movement took ever hold in the United States. Loncheras are small businesses owned by a Mexican or Mexican-American family and employing only members of the family. You can often spot these trucks [...]

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup. With the popularity of foreign food increasing each year, it is not surprising that Pho is gaining a lot of attention. There are even Pho food trucks now that serve this savory dish. Here are the four best Pho food trucks that you can find anywhere. What Is That Pho? Before we visit the top Pho food trucks out there, we need to talk a little about the food they serve. As mentioned earlier, Pho came from Vietnam. While Vietnamese cuisine may not be as popular as Chinese or Japanese, it is gaining many [...]