Street Eats Revolution

[1]

In 2008, Los Angeles 1 chef and entrepreneur— Roy Choi parked a bright yellow truck outside downtown office buildings, serving Korean-Mexican fusion tacos from a simple window. 2 It was an economic downturn; Choi was experimenting. To his surprise, the seemingly unlikely combination of bulgogi beef and corn tortillas drew massive lines and created social media buzz. Inspired by the response, 3 Choi expanded his fleet across the city with the Kogi BBQ brand. This time, office workers actually started following trucks on social media for location updates. Some people even organized their lunch breaks around the trucks’ posted schedules.

[2]

As Choi’s success spread throughout Los Angeles, his mobile restaurant concept gained attention from food bloggers and local news stations, 4 exploding similar ventures by chefs and entrepreneurs across the country. Adopting the language of street culture, these mobile food vendors commonly refer to their designated selling spots as "posting up." They scout locations during busy lunch hours, navigate complex city permits, and then 5 strategically positioning their trucks near office complexes during weekdays. Rather than waiting for customers, food trucks now announce their locations through Instagram stories. Giant menu boards display artisanal 6 offerings like craft beer bratwurst, gourmet grilled cheese, and farm-to-table salads.

[3]

Some food truck operators mainly want to build their brand, offering restaurant-quality meals at lower overhead costs than traditional establishments 7. Others, 8 however, aim for a more community-focused mission; they bring diverse cuisines to underserved neighborhoods and food deserts.

[4]

9 As food trucks represent mobile commerce, they’re welcomed more often than other street vendors because the food can be immediately consumed. This may be the aspect that allows people to embrace the convenience as they grab tacos from a converted Airstream trailer and to appreciate the chef’s entrepreneurial—or rebellious—spirit.

[5]

In 2012, entrepreneur Matt Cohen decided he’d had enough of people waiting in long lines for overpriced lunch options in food courts. He launched a bright red truck serving elevated comfort food like truffle mac and cheese for busy professionals who craved quality without the wait time typical of traditional restaurants.