The Cupcake Pimp

If there were such a thing as Foodtruckoholics Anonymous, I would be attending several meetings each week. Friends and colleagues consider me a food truck connoisseur while my family thinks of it more as an unhealthy obsession. Either way you call it, I spend a lot of time eating from food trucks and have had my fair share of “lessons learned”. For those new to the curbside scene, I offer you words of wisdom from a seasoned food truck fanatic’s perspective. I also jotted down a few suggestions on how food trucks can enhance their customers’ mobile eats experience.

Advice for the Newbie:

1. Do Your Homework

Check out the food trucks’ websites for menu options and prices. There’s nothing more irritating than standing in a long line because people take FOREVER to decide what to order. Watch and learn from the Soup Nazi on the classic Seinfeld episode – know what you want, have your money ready, and order promptly… or NO SOUP FOR YOU!  

2. Become a Twitter Addict

If you haven’t yet jumped on board the Twitter bandwagon, sign-up for an account and start following your favorite food trucks. Even though most trucks post a schedule on their website, the Twitter updates are crucial for real-time tracking. Traffic, parking and a truck-load of other unknowns can wreck havoc on schedules. Food Truck Fiesta is a another good resource for finding food truck locations – their website has a comprehensive list of DC food trucks, a live action map with active vendors, and Twitter feeds for all the trucks.    

3. Get There Early                       

Most trucks start-up the lunch hour around 11:30am – plan to get there when they open. If you get the tweet that the truck is 10-minutes away, head out the door and chances are you will be one of the first in line. Waiting until the traditional 12:00pm – 12:30pm lunch hour will almost guarantee you a long wait – especially for the most popular trucks like Red Hook Lobster Pound. Another reason to arrive early is to avoid a sell-out – on busy days, trucks often run out of top selling items very quickly.

4. Dress for Success

And by success I mean having the wherewithal to withstand whatever Mother Nature throws at you. Waiting outside in crappy weather does not make for a pleasant food truck experience. The vendors have adapted well to weather conditions and you will find most trucks operate in all conditions – torrential rain, summer scorchers, and winter freezes. I admire the food trucks for their resilience and like to support them year-round but this means being prepared to brave the extremes. Comfortable shoes are a must – walking to the trucks and standing on sidewalks is killer on the feet. On the open streets, you will find little protection from the elements so buddle up in layers on freezing cold days and slather on the sunscreen in brutal heat waves. And ALWAYS carry an umbrella! But it’s not all doom and gloom on dreary days… some food trucks offer incentives to rally customers when the weather turns foul – for example, look out for Curbside Cupcakes’ rainy day 2 for $5 special.  

5. Chat ‘Em Up

The Food Truck community is one of the friendliest and most down-to-earth group of people that I have encountered in DC. Chatting in line is a great way to pass the time and network with fellow food truck fanatics – I always enjoy exchanging reviews with the regulars or sharing recommendations with the first-timers. Also, take a moment to give a shout-out to the folks working the trucks – it’s a demanding, fast-paced environment so be patient and appreciative of their hard work.

Feedback for the Food Trucks:

1. Tweet – and Tweet Often

Let your followers know where you are, where you’re going, and what you have. There’s nothing more disappointing than trekking out and about to find a food truck has sold out of a favorite item or even worse – called it quits for the day. Curbside Cupcakes does a fantastic job tweeting locations and flavor updates throughout the day – which is a good thing because I would be seriously irked if I waited in line only to discover they were sold out of everything but gluten-free!

2. Don’t Forget Your Website

Tweeting is efficient for instant updates but unfortunately it’s limited to 140 characters. Websites on the other hand give your followers the nuts and bolts of your operation. What’s on your menu? What are your prices? Where are you going to be over the next week? Dedicated food truck foodies want the full scoop – and your website is a good place to tell them.

3. Not a One-Man Show

Anyone who’s experienced a food truck in their first few days of operations knows that there’s a learning curve… and usually a long line! It may take only one person to drive a truck but you need at least one helper to run a quick and efficient food truck operation. Plus, there’s the “ick” factor of having only one person making food and handling money at the same time.

4. Order to the Chaos

As noted above, I find my fellow food truck junkies to be a friendly crew… but on occasion I have encountered a few line jumpers who take advantage of chaotic crowds. Ideally there should be two lines – one for ordering and one for pick-up – and they should NOT be running in the same direction!  When lines start to form, take a minute to give direction to the crowd to line-up in an orderly fashion. Red Hook Lobster Pound has a smart chit system with a numbered token and I’ve noticed more trucks, including The Big Cheese Truck and CapMac, are now taking names with orders to make for a smoother ordering and pick-up process.

5. Cash is King

Most food trucks accept credit cards and while I understand that paying by plastic is a matter of convenience, I am not convinced that credit cards have a place on food trucks. With the abundance of ATMs on every street corner, you think more people would make a quick cash run rather than fiddle around with credit card transactions that slow down the order process. Unfortunately this is not the case and I continue to be amazed by the number of people who whip out a credit card to pay for a $7 sandwich. But in the spirit of compromise, I could live with the food trucks placing a $15 minimum purchase requirement on credit card transactions. After all, the $18 lobster roll meal from Red Hook Lobster Pound or a $27 dozen of cupcakes from Curbside Cupcakes can burn through your cash stash pretty fast!  

Food for Thought:

The food truck craze that ramped into overdrive this past summer in Washington, DC has been an exciting scene to witness. Take it from someone who used to pack a lunch, I am now energized to hit the streets several times a week – even making my rounds to more than one food truck in the same day. If you haven’t yet experienced a curbside meal, you’re sure to be impressed by the selection and quality of food waiting for you on a nearby street corner.  

Need help finding the best street eats in DC? Check out my list of Top 20 Food Trucks, including The Pimp’s Picks for favorite menu items.

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post