The prevalence of mobile catering units is likely to increase in the UK after gaining a “new lease of life” in the US, according to leading foodservice consultant Peter Backman.
Backman, managing director of Horizons, said he observed so-called “food trucks” as one of the main eating out trends in the US during his trip to the National Restaurant show in Chicago. “The rollout of the food trucks really struck me as exciting and new and a trend likely to be replicated in the UK,” he said.
Backman said that while most US food trucks are independently-owned single units, some are becoming small chains with up to 10 trucks.
National brands such as Taco Bell and Dunkin’ Donuts are also moving into the market, Backman said, and such US-owned brands are likely to lead the roll-out of food trucks in the UK.
“Mobile catering is far from new, but the revamped and improved food trucks have brought a new lease of life to the American catering sector, with units serving several hundred customers a day and specialising in anything from chicken dishes, pizza, burgers, tacos, Indian, and even cupcakes,” he said.
“Many offer innovative, quality food while others carry an environmental or sustainability message or design eye-catching trucks. Food trucks are found in large urban areas, although some authorities do prohibit them. Trucks typically park for around 90 minutes over lunch and then move on. Locations change daily so that customers are offered a choice of new concepts.”
He added: “With low start-up costs and high margins, the success of food trucks depends on creating a high demand in a concentrated area in a short space of time.”
Social media is used to communicate their locations, while GPS tracking is set to follow as websites such as FourSquare make it easier to track vendors.
Backman pointed out that a list of the top 10 food trucks recently published by US magazine QSR includes names such as the Buttermilk Truck, the Grilled Cheese Truck, Nom Nom Truck, Rickshaw Dumpling Truck and Solar Waffle Works.
