Keep on Truckin’: The Growing Food Truck Trend

Food trucks have been called many things: roach coaches, sources of greasy fare, and the opposite of fine dining. But trucks are going increasingly gourmet, sometimes downright pricey (L.A.’s Roll’n Lobster truck features menu options up to $18) and ideas customers once had about this grub on the go are changing for good.



The food truck trend is now well established in cities across the country, with over 200 trucks in the Los Angeles area alone (Gelt 2011). Food trucks appeal to consumers because they provide alternatives to the stationary restaurants in their area, and often feature gourmet, niche cuisine, which makes for a unique dining experience. Studies conducted by the National Restaurant Association’s Research & Knowledge Group show that food trucks are a trend favored by younger demographics, and younger generations are also more prone to support sustainability efforts (Elan 2011). This is an attractive combination, because markets are typically driven by millennial consumers ages 18 to 34 who often have disposable income and are very brand loyal (Wilson 2009).

For restaurateurs, the appeal is simple:

     In major metropolitan areas across the United States, food-vending trucks have become a common sight. For the truck merchants selling everything from fresh

     vegetables to fast food to fancy meals, they are an easy, low-cost way to run a business, and cost a fraction of what it would take to start a restaurant 

     (Noormohammadi 2011).



Food trucks not only boast smaller start-up costs - ranging from $30,000 to $80,000 versus the $100,000 to $300,000 for a stationary restaurant - but also the ability to test out a market before setting up a more permanent restaurant (Pou 2010). With the necessary permits, food trucks can conduct business virtually anywhere that a public property owner agrees, often only paying standard parking rates.



Because they still emit fossil fuels from transportation, water usage and electricity consumption, food trucks are not inherently greener than their brick-and-mortar counterparts (Elan 2011). But with proper driving techniques, the average food truck requires less fuel than a standard ice cream truck (Breyer 2012). Relying more on areas with heavy foot traffic, trucks often move locations only one or two times a day.



While there are many ways for trucks to go green, the sustainable trend hasn’t developed nearly as fast as the food truck phenomenon itself. According to Rachel Arndt of Fast Company:



     Food trucks may be riding the Twitter-crazed foodie wave, but their design hasn't yet caught up. They plug along in old mail trucks and standard food carts, which

     are functional but boxy. They're expensive, too: A new ride from AA Cater Truck, the largest American manufacturer of food trucks, goes for $124,000 and can top

     $250,000 with modifications (Arndt 2011).



But as green trucks proliferate more and more rapidly, “they’re increasing the number of foodservice places that can engineer sustainability into the operation from the ground up,” and are steadily driving down prices for formerly pricey truck designs. (Elan 2011).



​Reinventing the Wheel: Steps to Food Truck Sustainability
Food trucks around the nation are making headlines for taking the leap into sustainability, and their successes in green developments show the viability of this business model.

Here are some of the ways that food trucks can go green:

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1. Solar power
2. Alternative fuel
3. Biodegradable products
4. Local ingredients
5. Water preservation
    

Solar powered production kitchens, used in New York’s Green Truck On The Go and Off the Griddle in Portland, are one of the first steps to saving energy in daily operations (Bunin 2011). Investments in green kitchen equipment can be costly, but companies like Hobart and Unified Brands are developing more affordable options, and the current gear – though pricey - will lead, inevitably, to lower monthly energy costs (Myrick 2011).



Green Truck partner David Holtze said his food trucks – in San Diego, L.A. and New York - have no electricity bills and use solar panels to power the trucks on sunny days (Elan 2011). The vehicles have engines that run on used cooking oil from their fryers.



Alternative fuel is a huge reducer of greenhouse gas emissions for food trucks. Companies across the country, such as Simply Biodiesel, can convert used cooking oil from mobile restaurants like San Francisco’s Liba into biofuel. Better driving habits and basic maintenance can also cut gas emissions by up to 30% (Myrick 2011). This include keeping tires properly inflated, which can save 6% of fuel consumption; servicing the vehicle regularly, which can reduce fuel usage by as much as 50%; and driving steadily rather than in stops and starts.



Biodegradable containers are a key aspect to sustainable food truck practices. Products such as disposable utensils, napkins and plates are a necessary part of mobile food service and can make up a large amount of a food truck’s waste. The Fojol Brothers in New York use recyclable utensils, napkins and containers (Bunin 2011). These products are often more expensive than their disposable counterparts, but forming cooperatives of sustainable food trucks can be a practical option for buying products in bulk (Myrick 2011).



The “farm-to-cart” approach to ingredients is one that not only cuts down on transport fuel and wasteful shipping materials, like Styrofoam, but also promotes local agriculture. Fresh, local ingredients also appeal to health-minded customers and can be a smart marketing strategy for consumers looking to support their community’s farming industry.



According to Green Truck customer Mick Kelleher, "We're supporting something that is part of a bigger cause so when I feel full, I feel good" (Noormohammadi 2011).



While food trucks inherently consume less water because of their limited space, there are other ways to further cut down on water usage. Many trucks are introducing in-house water filtration systems, which limit both the shipping costs of having water delivered and the waste from non-biodegradable water bottles (Bunin 2011). The Los Angeles Green Truck uses the water left over from washing vegetables to clean their truck (Elan 2011).

Going Green For Good
It remains to be seen if sustainable food trucks can develop a business model that is, well, sustainable. Will consumer enthusiasm for eco-friendly fare be worth the overhead and investment in green technologies that food trucks are currently making? The cost of permits varies between cities, but they are often high, and high risk, because these businesses may not succeed.



The competitive street vending market in New York has led to prohibitively expensive permit costs. While the city charges just $200 for a two-year permit, permits are limited to 3,100 permit holders. These permit holders illegally rent permits to other vendors for as much as $14,000. In L.A., business licenses for food trucks are free. Mobile vendor permits cost $695, and the city doesn’t share New York’s problem of black market permits (Pou 2010).



For many, the move to eco-friendly food truck operations has been a lucrative one. As Green Truck’s Holtze points out, it’s “marketing gold,” and it sets these trucks apart from their less environmentally friendly competition (Ardnt 2011). Moving towards green operations doesn’t have to happen overnight; small changes, like replacing bulky cardboard pouches for thin paper sleeves to hold sweet potato fries, could have a big impact on the environment and on a food truck’s profits (U.S. Fed News Service 2008). And that is a savory deal.

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Works Cited



*Arndt, Rachel. “Redesigning Food Trucks.” Fast Company, June 2011. http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/docview/886417568

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Bunin, Jennifer. “Can A Food Truck Be Green? In A Word, Yes.” EcoCentric Blog. Aug. 22, 2011. http://www.ecocentricblog.org/2011/08/22/can-a-food-truck-be-green-in-a-word-yes/



Breyer, Melissa. “Are food trucks easy on the environment?” Mother Nature Network, Aug. 21, 2012. http://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/stories/are-food-trucks-easy-on-the-environment



Elan, Elissa. “Food Trucks Give Sustainability Green Light.” National Restaurant Association. Dec. 29, 2011. http://www.restaurant.org/nra_news_blog/2011/12/food-trucks-give-sustainability-green-light.cfm



“Fox student organization helps turn food truck into organic, sustainable eatery.” US Fed News Service, Including US State News, May 28, 2008. http://search.proquest.com/docview/472754205?accountid=14749



*Gelt, Jessica. “A wrong turn for L.A.’s food truck scene?” L.A. Times, May 6, 2011. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/06/food/la-fo-food-trucks-20110506

Myrick, Richard. “15 Ways to Make Your Food Truck Sustainable.” Mobile Cuisine, Aug. 9, 2012. http://mobile-cuisine.com/business/15-tips-to-make-your-food-truck-sustainable/



Noormohammadi, Monaliza. “Mobile Restaurant Redefines Green, Organic.” Voice of America News, Sept. 13 2011.

http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/business/docview/889289329/13918FEC15F3317135D/17?accountid=14749



Pou, Jackie. “Starting Your Own Food Truck.” PBS, Oct. 15 2010. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/five-things/starting-your-own-food-truck/4268/

Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association. http://socalmfva.com/q-a/

Wilson, Elizabeth. “Know Your Target Market.” Entrepreneur,  June 19, 2009. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/202334



*Denotes print source