Applebees, Taco Bell invade the world of food trucks

Chris Tutor — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising

As if to prove the inevitable evolution of all things cool to pedestrian commercialism, the hipster trend of high-end food trucks is being invaded by cookie cutter chain names.

As the headline says, Applebees and Taco Bell are two big names cashing in on the roving restaurant trend. But there are also now trucks from Sizzler, Jack in the Box and Red Robin. If those big fish weren't enough to have you wondering if food trucks had jumped the shark, consider that NBC (yes, that NBC) recently had a food truck at SXSW and several U.S. cities have reported seeing a food truck selling Gap-branded tacos.

Some of the big chains see their trucks as supplementary to their brick and mortar stores, while others use their vittle-vans as mobile test kitchens. Sizzler, for example, uses an electronic menu on its truck because its offerings changed so frequently. Some items proved so popular that the steak chain incorporated them into their regular menu.

So is this the beginning of road-going restaurants? Or the beginning of the end for what was for a bit a fun little trend? Adweek's story points out that some people theorize that food trucks will become as ubiquitous as mobile phones. When first introduced, mobiles were novelties, but soon evolved to replace land lines.

Applebees, Taco Bell invade the world of food trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago cops using social networking tools against food trucks that use them

Zach Bowman — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:04:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Truck, Etc., Government/Legal, Work

The Chicago Sun Times reports food truck operators in Chicago have met with a police crackdown. Some operators report officers lying in wait for the mobile food services to show up, threatening a variety of citations before the trucks even open their doors. How is that possible? The miracle of the Internet. Operators routinely announce their location or route for the day on social networking tools like Twitter or Facebook. While the Chicago Police Department hasn't said whether or not officers are mining the web for locations, it seems likely.

Food trucks have emerged as a popular way to grab a quick lunch bite in Chicago over the past year, though owners face charges from parking in loading zones to operating too close to an existing restaurant. A group of operators recently met with city officials in an attempt to establish new ordinances governing the trucks' legal operation. During the meeting, the city asked for a list of the most popular food truck spots, and it wasn't long before the police were waiting for them when business time rolled around.

Chicago cops using social networking tools against food trucks that use them originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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