The Invasion of the Food Trucks

[mame11]

I just saw a link on a friend's twitter to @frycaptain. I followed it and discovered that DC is getting just what it has always needed, a food truck where you can buy french fries and milkshakes. Oh joy.

Earlier today, I passed Masa 14 while Chef Burrel was doling out hot dogs (including a kim chee dog... trite?) I overheard him telling some customers that the restaurant was going to launch a taco truck. (how about a fried chicken truck instead.... but I digress)

I just spent a nice amount of time in Los Angeles and noticed a few things about food trucks. First, there are taco and non-descript food trucks parked in neighborhoods like the hills of Beverly Hills and Brentwood where no restaurants are nearby. I meant to ask locals what that was about, then one day noticed a truck full of construction workers roll up to one of the most random trucks I spotted. These trucks serve people who get short lunch breaks who would spend it just getting out of the neighborhood much less be able to get anything to eat. While taking lunch might be an option, I imagine I'd want something hot and substantial if I were doing physical work.

Okay, so that explains the trucks I saw in neighborhoods. But LA has food trucks all over the city. In front of studios, parked behind office buildings, near tourist attractions. The food ranges from salads to korean tacos. Often the trucks were parked where there were no, or few, options available. I don't remember seeing more than one truck at a time either.

LA has something DC does not have... traffic with no public transportation option. If you have a short lunch break you might not have the option to get many places because, well, you'll spend it in your car. So, the trucks make sense.

At first the trend was cute in DC... and for places like Capitol Hill it makes sense but what about the rest of the city? Does the trend disincentivize people from making the investment in a restaurant? Are the low barriers to entry unfair to existing restaurants (indie or chain), Is the trend sustainable? According to Food Truck Fiesta, a nifty site to track the whereabouts of the DC area food trucks in one place, there are 11 different outfits on the road currently with another 8 on deck.

By the way, I understand that some vendors use the food truck concept to prove, well, their concept. If I understand correctly, District Tacos, is opening a brick and mortar operation soon. It makes sense to test a concept... but what about the french fry and (yeah, more) cupcakes...

What do y'all think?

[Toogs]

Interesting topic, but I would like to know how it could possibly be "unfair" to existing restaurants?

[deangold]

Interesting topic, but I would like to know how it could possibly be "unfair" to existing restaurants?

The regulatory requirements of opening a restaurant include getting the ANC approval if you are going to serve beer, wine or more potent potables. Some areas have moratoriums and overlays. The health depatment, fire etc can interpret code differently depending on who you inspector is, after all they are only human.

Under proposed new DC regulations, once the truck receives its license, it can roll up anywhere it wants, park and vend. It can vend in a neighborhood where no more restaurants can open. It can vend in a neighborhood where new restaurants are denied the chance to open due to lack of parking or neighbors who just don't want restaurants to expand. A truck can open in Dupont East and park {if it cold find space} right in front of Hank's Oyster Bar and sell Oysters while Ms Leeds et all try to appease the 10 or so neighbors who are fighting tooth and nail her expansion which is supported by the DC-ABRA and the neighborhood ANC.

A newly constructed restaurant must devote a large portion of its square footage to restrooms, employee changing rooms etc. The truck must only find free curb space.

Some may consider this unfair and others just an urban perk.

[monavano]

I'm with the urban perk crowd. I don't think food trucks are so much "trite" in DC, but I do think their a bit precious, sort of like cupcakes are precious here.

In Philly, many if not most trucks are pedestrian and fit a basic need. Some are specialized and incredibly good (like at Penn). I don't recall them moving around from place to place tho.

[chaofun]

By the way, I understand that some vendors use the food truck concept to prove, well, their concept. If I understand correctly, District Tacos, is opening a brick and mortar operation soon. It makes sense to test a concept... but what about the french fry and (yeah, more) cupcakes...

Another good example of this is Pupatella, who have done well transitioning to a brick and mortar establishment.

One thing I wanted to point out re: public transportation, is that a lot of folks don't have cars since the DC public transportation is pretty solid. What's different about DC metro than most cities however is that most of the ethnic centers are in the suburbs which a lot of people can't access without cars. Often times, if you want a Banh Mi or some Bolgogi, a cart/truck is the easiest way to get it.

In general, I think the more trucks/carts the better. Affordable good street food is something we have needed for a while, I'm happy to see how things go.

[Rovers2000]

I'd agree with the "urban perk" classification as I tend to view these carts more as a lunch/afternoon meal type place.

For me, if I want to sit down or have dinner, the idea of a food truck wouldn't even pop into my brain...which makes it sort of an apples to oranges comparison in terms of the street trucks "taking" business from brick and mortar stops.

[johnb]

This food truck thing has become very much the foodie trend du jour, but it isn't really new. Food trucks have been serving construction sites, motion picture locations, carnivals, warehouse areas and so on for decades, serving everything from coffee, dogs, burgers, and sweets, to sophisticated catered meals. Many food operations got started as lunch wagons, and in fact diners as restaurant type originated as lunch wagons about a century ago. That's why the new food trucks can pass the regulations fairly easily--it's nothing new to the regulatory authorities, who have had doable rules on the books to cover them for a long time.

IIRC a local favorite burrito dive, El Charrito Caminante, started as a truck and made the transition to a fixed location maybe 10 years ago.

What is new is the wave of innovative foods being sold by food trucks, in office areas. I think this results from lots of young food lovers and food entrepreneurs who have a good idea but not much funding. The whole process is enabled by twitter, which has allowed them to communicate with their target market. Those Kogi BBQ guys in LA were the first to break thru and now dozens of undercapitalized food innovators are jumping on the bandwagon, as it were. I think it's a great development.

[zoramargolis]

Second on what John says ^. There were food trucks everywhere in L.A. when I was a kid, in the late 50's and early 60's. We called them "roach coaches" --they primarily traveled to blue collar and green collar worksites and were considered highly risky to the middle-class digestive system. The first time I patronized one was in the late 80's when I was in graduate school, doing an internship in a clinic in a mostly residential East Hollywood neighborhood. I didn't have enough time to drive somewhere to buy lunch, so on days when I didn't bring lunch with me, I would buy lunch from a truck that showed up for about a half-hour every day. I seem to recall a sort of Mexican rice bowl that I would get, with saucy meat and chiles. Can't remember what else they had--burgers and tortas, probably. Nothing that memorable. These days, the upscaleness of the food is what makes them appealing to a really different target clientele.

[xcanuck]

One of the things that make cities like LA and NYC so great is the wide variety of options available through food trucks. Indeed, some of the best food I've had in my travels, have been from street vendors. While we'll never get anything as wonderful as the "hawker stalls" found in Asia, I still appreciate the chance to find unique and freshly prepared food from these trucks. What IS trite is a truck coming along with the 'trend du jour' (e.g. cupcakes). Screw that. But vendors that serve up fresh stir fried noodles, or authentically prepared empanadas are more than welcome.

As an aside, I don't mean to infer that it has to be ethnic or particularly "authentic". But I think discerning diners can distinguish between an honest effort and someone trying to make a buck by capitalizing on a fad. I still had very fond memories of the chip wagons in the Ottawa area when I grew up. They sold one thing, and one thing only - the best damn fries I've ever had. The only condiments were ketchup, salt, and (white) vinegar. The latter two were all I needed. Can't wait until this weekend's trip so I can get some more!

[goodeats]

I just saw a link on a friend's twitter to @frycaptain. I followed it and discovered that DC is getting just what it has always needed, a food truck where you can buy french fries and milkshakes.

I still had very fond memories of the chip wagons in the Ottawa area when I grew up. They sold one thing, and one thing only - the best damn fries I've ever had. The only condiments were ketchup, salt, and (white) vinegar.

xcanuck - is @frycaptain somewhat similar to the chip wagons of yore? I just visited their website and they claimed there will be "truffle-infused ketchup." Snurf.

[Ericandblueboy]

There's a show called the Great Food Truck Race hosted your favorite Foot Network personality Tyler Florence. Starts this Sunday 8/15 at 10 p.m.

[goldenticket]

Don't forget about the food trucks in Austin, Texas. While some of them are mobile (esp. those along 6th Street), many are parked up semi-permanently in 'trailer parks' along South Congress, Barton Springs, etc. There has been some conflict there, too, about health regulations, competition, etc.

I'm happy to have Rebel Heroes in the area near my office and hope to check out some of the Rosslyn vendors, once it cools down a bit.

[johnb]

They're popping up everywhere. Click

Actually an interesting article, that gives some breadth to the phenom.

[Sthitch]

Today on Mass Ave, near the corner with North Cap, there were four of them parked (Eatwonky, DC Slice, a cupcake truck, and one I could not make out). I am sure that any and all of these are improvements on most of what is available in that area.

[mame11]

I might just have to make a cross country trip to investigate this:

BACON TRUCK

[yfunk3]

Someone sent me the link to this nice, in-depth article about what the food truck situation is currently in DC and what they're facing vs. the hot dog carts and brick-and-mortar places:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/39815/inside-dc-food-truck-wars/full/

Just thought I'd share Personally, I've only eaten from a few food trucks so far since they mainly seem to serve areas within the District, or are in North Arlington (where I basically never go unless I'm craving the buffet at the Delhi Club or need to get something from the Container Store). It'd be great if they were allowed to develop like in L.A. or NYC, but I do understand why the brick-and-mortars would be incensed.

It's a tough economy and a tough business, but I do think a happy medium can be reached somewhere. Unfortunately, I don't think this is the town for it to happen.

[deangold]

Someone sent me the link to this nice, in-depth article about what the food truck situation is currently in DC and what they're facing vs. the hot dog carts and brick-and-mortar places:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/39815/inside-dc-food-truck-wars/full/

I think the most revealing quote in the article is this one:

If you talk to enough restaurateurs like Bennett, you’ll start to hear the same complaints about food trucks: the unfair disparity in sales tax rates (brick-and-mortars pay 10 percent on sales, trucks pay a flat $1,500 annually)

I have no beef {or lobster} with any of the food trucks as far as their setting up and competition, but there is a level playing field argument that can be made on taxes. I feel that overlay zones and moratoriums on restaurants, liquor licenses etc are a bad thing in general. But paying taxes is part of what citizenship. This is the only area where I have a problem with the truck.

My restaurant has to collect and pay 10% in sales tax. A truck only pays a flat rate of $1500? By all accounts, the Lobster Truck is serving 100 customers a day at over $15 a pop for revenue of $1500, which, if in a brick and mortar establishment, means $150 for sales tax. So in 10 days time, they have gone from paying sales tax to tax free sales. And by all reports I have read, their sales are probably in excess of what I am using in the equation. Certainly not a level playing field there. And a perverse one, the more successful trucks will pay less sales tax as a percentage of their revenue than a less successful one.

You can argue that businesses pay too much in taxes or not enough, or that they get not enough service etc. But, in any case, one business selling food, trucks, should not have differential treatment than another. Put us all on an even footing and I say let 'em roll. Even if they are not on an even footing, then we business owners should try to get it so.... but not try to limit competition and ban them. That takes a vibrant part of life out of the equation of what makes DC a great place. My neighborhood's business association is dead set against the trucks and I think it a short sighted and incorrect position.

[pupatella]

My restaurant has to collect and pay 10% in sales tax. A truck only pays a flat rate of $1500? By all accounts, the Lobster Truck is serving 100 customers a day at over $15 a pop for revenue of $1500, which, if in a brick and mortar establishment, means $150 for sales tax. So in 10 days time, they have gone from paying sales tax to tax free sales. And by all reports I have read, their sales are probably in excess of what I am using in the equation. Certainly not a level playing field there. And a perverse one, the more successful trucks will pay less sales tax as a percentage of their revenue than a less successful one.

When we had our pizza truck in Arlington, we had to pay exactly the same taxes as restaurants - I'm surprised to learn that DC is different.

[deangold]

When we had our pizza truck in Arlington, we had to pay exactly the same taxes as restaurants - I'm surprised to learn that DC is different.

All I am going by is the quote in the article and fact that all the trucks I have frequented have not had cash registers.

Arlington seems to be more on top of sales tax issues than DC! If that is the case, then more power to the trucks in Arlington.

I don't even want to say as long as they pay their fair share, as that opens a can of worms. But as long as street vendors of any kind are facing the same sort of tax/regulatory burden as their brick and mortar competitors, then let the best business win out!

[Pat]

Someone sent me the link to this nice, in-depth article about what the food truck situation is currently in DC and what they're facing vs. the hot dog carts and brick-and-mortar places:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/39815/inside-dc-food-truck-wars/full/

I thought Nick Cho's suggestion in the comments was intriguing. Don't know how workable it is, but it's a interesting proposal:

A pie-in-the-sky thought: If only there was a way for the District to collaborate with Maryland and Virginia to allow for a metro-region-wide licensing and permitting program, it would allow for a larger footprint that would indeed more-resemble Los Angeles as a market. If the trucks had Silver Spring, Tysons Corner, Bethesda, Crystal City, etc. in addition to the District to rotate through, with some realistic rules that would help minimize the impact on inline businesses... that could help, no? A WMATA-type collaboration... minus the broken escalators?

[nick]

Yeah, it's a silly idea, Pat. Likely beyond unrealistic, but yet it seems that it would help address some of the issues at hand.

More thoughts: The fact is, there are realities when it comes to opening a brick-and-mortar "inline" food-business. A location on a block (of the sort where a food truck would want to be) will cost anywhere between $40-90 per square foot (per year), which for a smallish lunch place of 600-1200 square feet, means anywhere from $2000-$9000 per month, or $24K-$108K per year, just for rent. Startup costs? At least $100K, but usually much more.

The general realities of the marketplace set the bar just high enough that the playing field is generally level. It's always a little annoying and green with envy when you find out that some guy down the street with no industry experience just opened a drool-inducing multi-million-dollar venture with daddy's poker money, but it's never more than just a little annoying.

The closest thing to unfairness is what often seems like the obscenely deep pockets of national chains to sign big $$ leases and snatch up great locations. Their costs are lower, they're recognized brands, and landlords love them to death. Sometimes that big $$ buys them non-compete clauses in their lease contracts that forbids that landlord from leasing on that block to anyone offering anything remotely resembling their own offerings (Starbucks comes to my mind, but for somewhat obvious reasons). But even then, if I'm offering real quality of service and product, the presence of chains shouldn't bug me too much. You do, however, hear the consumer-base, especially in DC, bemoaning the proliferation of chain-businesses all the time. This sentiment is clearly related to the Twitterati's vocal support of the food truck trend.

I generally try to be a moderate and a realist, so I'll never claim that all independent food brick-and-mortars will be automatically driven out of business by food trucks run amok. However, it's the independent small-businesses who would be most affected by food truck proliferation, unless the appropriate steps are taken by the District and the food truck operators. The chains would, for many reasons, experience a smaller overall impact.

Regulations are never fun, but the fact is, there's come this trend: All of a sudden, you can open a food business at less than 1/4th the initial cost, pay zero rent (though I guess they have to keep the meter fed?), and if you don't like the location, you can pick up and roll your operation across town to a better one... often near or in front of a "competitor" business. The game is changed. In some ways for the better, in other ways, not so much.

Snarky commenters have attacked the pro-inline-business folks, saying that New York City and Los Angeles have booming food-truck scenes without the backlash (as far as we know) and without catastrophic outcomes. The simple fact is, you can't compare NYC and LA to DC. The geography, population-density, economic development landscape, and retail footprint of Our Nation's Capital make comparisons absolutely inapplicable. That's what inspired my beyond-idealistic "DC-MD-VA" zone idea. Alas.

Certainly an interesting microcosm of the realities of politics. Both sides have good points. Both sides are self-interested. The most self-interested of all, is the electorate... I mean, the consumer base. People want choice. More choices. At least people think they do. Regulations might not be fun, but no regulations, while they might be fun for a short time, might prove much less fun than the consumers predicted or intended. If only we had some example where the economy was harmed by a lack of regulation on a new and innovative business concept... if only!!!

Anyway, just some thoughts. To be honest, I've been mulling over the idea of opening a coffee-truck as an interim step to our new (inline) coffeebar, so this issue is more than interesting to me. Still mulling.

(Only because I'm sure someone will mention it if I don't: Yes, I withheld comment on the sales tax topic... and by no means am I trying to be glib about that.)

[Sthitch]

The Post ran a story today about proposed food truck regulations.

The story is pretty much a waste of literal and digital ink that quotes only interested parties, and really provides no new insight, but I am happy that I read it only because I found a link to a site called "thestreats" which tracks the locations of the trucks (being twitter deprived at work, I find this very helpful to know who might be showing up in the culinary hell known as NOMA).

[johnb]

The Post ran a story today about proposed food truck regulations.

The story is pretty much a waste of literal and digital ink that quotes only interested parties, and really provides no new insight, but I am happy that I read it only because I found a link to a site called "thestreats" which tracks the locations of the trucks (being twitter deprived at work, I find this very helpful to know who might be showing up in the culinary hell known as NOMA).

OTOH, food safety regulation of food trucks is coming. Check this from today's NYT. Everything starts in California.

[ol_ironstomach]

What DC needs now is a truck that makes fresh malasadas.

[Anna Phor]

Dammit! You had my hopes up!

[laniloa]

Dammit! You had my hopes up!

Seriously! One of the things I miss about living in Hawaii is Leonard's malasadas. We used to stop there on our way back from sampling trips. We'd alternate with Waiola store shave ice. A bad day sampling required stops at both.

[johnb]

Seriously! One of the things I miss about living in Hawaii is Leonard's malasadas. We used to stop there on our way back from sampling trips. We'd alternate with Waiola store shave ice. A bad day sampling required stops at both.

My earliest food truck memory is the (original?) shrimp truck on, IIRC, the eastern shore of Oahu. It was there long before anybody ever thought about food trucks; apparently now there are many of them, mostly on the North shore. The shrimp was about the best I ever had.

[yfunk3]

Shrimp trucks and malasadas and shave ice...you're all making me sad that there's no Hawaiian food options in the area!

I think I should make a loco moco, soon... Recently made a huli huli chicken marinade, but I used it on chicken breasts instead of roasting a whole chicken, so it felt sort of wasted! Reduced the marinade to make a great barbecue dipping sauce, though.

[squidsdc]

Shrimp trucks and malasadas and shave ice...you're all making me sad that there's no Hawaiian food options in the area!

I think I should make a loco moco, soon... Recently made a huli huli chicken marinade, but I used it on chicken breasts instead of roasting a whole chicken, so it felt sort of wasted! Reduced the marinade to make a great barbecue dipping sauce, though.

post the recipe!

[kirite]

post the recipe!

My first food truck experience was with "The Friendly Man Who Sells Good Humor, The Ice Cream Kids All Favor."

[Ericandblueboy]

Wapo on new sales tax proposal.

D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) plans to introduce legislation Tuesday, March 15, that would end the sales tax exemption for food trucks, requiring them to pay the same 10 percent tax as restaurants and other prepared food sellers.

The number of food trucks has grown dramatically in the last two years and Evans, chairman of the council's finance and revenue committee, said the system of charging them just $1,500 per year in fees, devised in the early 1990s, is obsolete.

Kristi Whitfield, co-owner of the Curbside Cupcakes food truck, agreed that the guidelines are antiquated and need updating but said a sales tax would hurt her business -- and not just because of the costs that she would pass on to customers. Not having to compute a sales tax, for instance, allows her to only handle bills (no coins), keep her line moving and see many customers. “So much of what we do has to do with respecting people's time and operating efficiently,” she said.

Whitfield also called the idea that food trucks have a competitive advantage over restaurants an “illusion,” pointing to limits on the size of food trucks, where they can stop and how they can restock. “There are a myriad of benefits that restaurants have in regard to stocking and points of distribution that food trucks don't have,” she said.

Of course higher prices would hurt her business because demand is generally inversely related to price. I also think this illusory advantage is quite real. When you buy/rent real estate, your cost is directly related to the location of the property. When you drive a truck, you don't have to pay more to be next to the mall.

Another Wapo article.

A letter sent to Evans today from the “newly-formed” D.C. Food Truck Association asks him to “pause before proposing” his sales tax bill, saying that while the group “is not opposed to a law that would require all street vendors to collect sales tax,” it is “opposed to legislation that is created in a vacuum without all stakeholders at the table.” The letter, signed by DCFTA Executive Director (and Curbside Cupcake proprietor) Kristi Whitfield, criticizes Evans for not consulting with vendors and asks him to “engage the food truck community before proceeding.”

I wasn't around when the 16th Amendment was passed but I still pay my income taxes. Heck, DC residents are still being taxed without representation. This needing to be consulted first argument is pretty weak.

[yfunk3]

post the recipe!

Hope it's not too far off topic, but this is the recipe I used:

http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawaii_today/2009/6/5/make_huli_huli_chicken

I didn't have sherry, so I just used xiaoxing wine, and it turned out well. Will have to roast a whole chicken with it next time, though.

Back on topic, finally got a chance to try out Bada Bing yesterday. Ordered the cheesesteak to see how they do a classic, and it was great (wiz wit). Not greasy at all, which I don't understand how that can be! Also got their daily special asparagus salad with hearts of palm, cherry tomatoes and shaved parm, and that was delicious as well. As far as value goes, I think their prices are perfect for a food truck. District Taco and Bada Bing have been the only trucks so far where I feel their prices are in line with the whole food truck concept without sacrificing quality at all. Will definitely have to try their spiedies next week!

[Sthitch]

I was driving down 395 last week and saw this, my first thought was that I thought that hazardous materials were prohibited on the 14^th Street Bridge…

[darkstar965]

Second on what John says ^. There were food trucks everywhere in L.A. when I was a kid, in the late 50's and early 60's. We called them "roach coaches" --they primarily traveled to blue collar and green collar worksites and were considered highly risky to the middle-class digestive system. .... These days, the upscaleness of the food is what makes them appealing to a really different target clientele.

We had roach coaches (and good humor) trucks on the east coast (NY/NJ/CT) as far back as the 70s and likely earlier too. Also blue/green collar work sites for the coaches, neighborhoods for the ice cream man:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JfMCBh1sJQ

I think the most revealing quote in the article is this one:

I have no beef {or lobster} with any of the food trucks as far as their setting up and competition, but there is a level playing field argument that can be made on taxes. I feel that overlay zones and moratoriums on restaurants, liquor licenses etc are a bad thing in general. But paying taxes is part of what citizenship. This is the only area where I have a problem with the truck.

I'm with Dean on the above. Aren't all Americans, whether individual or commercial, supposed to pay takes on income? I realize that's not the same as actually paying taxes given loopholes, shelters and the like but nominally the regulations should apply to any income-generating enterprise. Compliance and enforcement are important but tangential to this discussion. The DC Council legislation now under consideration will likely institute something to level the playing field. Then, let the trucks compete. IMHO, we have too many trucks (and cupcake places) now and I'd guess some or many will fail. But that's no different from the many poorly envisioned or executed restaurants that don't make it. I'd guess most people are like me in that they'll visit and spend with purveyors that float their boats, whether stationary or mobile. That's the free market--usually a good thing.

[dcs]

FYI, the second Truckeroo will be held today, if you are hungry and find yourself near the stadium. You could not ask for better weather.