Food Trucks

[Viktor Vaughn]

The Gastrotruck has a winter food truck concept, they're calling SOB for Soups On Board. My friend who thought of this same idea for a winter soup truck is going to be upset.

Also, the article notes that their B&M spot on 24th & University won't open until spring.

http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/ga ... nt-opening

[Viktor Vaughn]

Bloomy's Roast Beef is out of business. Considering there's so many dt lunch options, it really only takes one dry roast beef sandwich before you avoid that truck indefinitely.

I can think of about a dozen more mediocre food trucks that should probably be closed and sold. It might be a good time to pick up a used one at a good price if you had a great concept and the ability to execute it.

http://m.bizjournals.com/twincities/mor ... s-for.html

[talindsay]

Wow, with two 6500KW generators they could power the entire city!

[Tyler]

Bloomy's was awesome. Sad to see it go.

[Didier]

I don't know if this has been mentioned elsewhere but Chef Shack is opening a brick and mortar location on Franklin about two blocks from the river.

[mulad]

Speaking of generators and such, wouldn't it be a good idea to install electric vehicle charging stations at the parking stalls regularly used by food trucks? It'd make the food truck experience a lot nicer to not have to hear the generators running and making noise and potentially throwing off smelly exhaust.

I'm not sure how much power a food truck needs, though. I would think most could get by on just a regular 15-amp wall outlet, but some might need more than that (most of the cooktops must be heated by propane, right?)

[talindsay]

No, they are going to be a LOT more than that. The one that's for sale list it as having two 6.5KW generators - for comparison your 15A circuit is a max of 1.8KW. Even a residential kitchen is required by code to have two 20A circuits (about 5KW) and these are commercial kitchens with multiple commercial refrigerators and freezers, microwaves, convection ovens and toasters plus all the sales equipment.

[Viktor Vaughn]

The happy trend of food truck operators matriculating into full-fledged restaurateurs continues.

This time it’s Christina Nguyen and Birk Grudem of Hola Arepa (http://www.holaarepa.com). The couple are converting the former El Paraiso (3501 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls.) into a restaurant and bar.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/ta ... 97241.html

So now they would be the 8th local food truck to go bricks & mortar (assuming Gastropub's plans have been scrapped). They are Smack Shack, Turkey-to-go, World Street Kitchen, Potters Pasties, Sushi Fix, Foxy Falafel, Chef Shack, and now Hola Arepa's. Who am I missing?

[mister.shoes]

Does AZ Canteen having a stand at Target Field and the new Vikings Stadium count? Or are those just food trucks without the V8 up front?

[PhilmerPhil]

Hot Indian Food is opening where Left Handed Cook used to be at the Midtown Global Market.

[Viktor Vaughn]

Excited about this.

Sassy Spoon food truck is settling down in the Nokomis neighborhood
Sep 3, 2014

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... n-the.html

After three seasons on the road, Sassy Spoon food truck is getting a permanent location.
Owner Tamara Brown has signed a lease for a 1,800-square-foot space in the Nokomis neighborhood of south Minneapolis. The site at 5011 34th Ave. S. was most recently home to 3 Tiers—A Bakery Bistro, which closed in early July after five years of business. ...

So that's at least 10 trucks gone B&M.

[Viktor Vaughn]

Montley Crews Heavy Metal food truck is opening a brick and mortar location with a brewery in Lakeville.
http://m.bizjournals.com/twincities/new ... anent.html

Adding them and velee deli to the above list, that would be at least 12 trucks to make the jump.

[mattaudio]

Andrew Zimmern on why food trucks don’t work in Minnesota
https://www.minnpost.com/twin-cities-bu ... -minnesota

[Tyler]

I'm friends with another food truck operator and they are doing quite well with it.

One thing about Zimmern is that he never worked the truck (love him saying "we worked so hard"). Basically everybody else is an owner/operator so the numbers work out quite differently. Also AZ Canteen was never one of the truly busy trucks. I do think you need to be one of the guys with a perpetual line for it to really work.

All that said the best thing about the trucks is the low cost of admission for someone with an idea but not the capital (ie. not Zimmern). Not as a long term business.

[billhelm]

for someone famous like Zimmern, there are of course higher ROI opportunities than a food truck and he's found some of them. The headline that they "don't work" is pretty terrible.

[mattaudio]

Agreed. "Only $40,000" annual return, after expenses, may not be worth the time for A.Z., but it's a great opportunity to get into business at low cost for a lot of average people. A lower risk way to test out a concept. And over a dozen have become brick and mortar locally. I assume many in the restaurant business also see food trucks as a sort of incubator for ideas and brands. Unfortunately A.Z. just saw it as an extension of the franchise of his name.

[mister.shoes]

Too bad. The couple times his truck came to my work out in the 'burbs, I really enjoyed the food. Which is no surprise, of course.