The Truck Stops Here
At the pandemic’s onset, it took all of a day for food truck operators to learn how vulnerable they were and barely much longer than that to figure out what survival would look like. Mostly designed to tap lunchtime crowds in central districts, their markets evaporated overnight. An ability to be on the move was salvation for many. Lunch in the city turned into dinner service in urban neighborhoods and suburban sites while the serendipity of randomly showing up gave way to the precision of social media announcements, website ordering, and prepay.
Even as some employees return to offices, population density in workspaces will continue to be smaller and less predictable. At least for the near term, cafeterias in some office complexes remain dark, creating opportunity for trucks. According to the National Food Truck Association, in fact, some business locations have asked to be put on trucks’ regular lunchtime rotations. Likewise, one medical center in Bay City, MI, forced to shorten hours in its cafeteria, invited trucks to swing by to provide meals for staff and visitors. And, properly marketed, catering continues to be a revenue stream, with food trucks tailor-made for serving outdoor events.