Okay, so we haven’t even had a single significant snowfall yet, but temperatures are starting to creep lower and lower. At this time last year, we had some trucks but only a fraction of the number that we have now. Predictions are that this is the calm before the (snow) storm, and that this’ll be one of the most brutal winters on record. So, how will trucks stay in business over the frigid winter?
New Stops
During the summer, we don’t really mind waiting in a long line when the sun is shining. In fact, it’s a nice break from the super high-rise building from which we descent to grab lunch from a truck. So, trucks frequented these stops since there was a strong and steady flow of people. Now, that stream of patrons will dwindle as we become far less open to withstanding high winds and freezing temperatures. Stops like Aon and the Sears Tower are less fruitful for trucks. So, this evens the playing field a bit for those of us who want food truck lunches but aren’t near stops with super high foot traffic. I work near HARPO Studios, where there are several agencies and start ups like Sprout Social and The Nerdery. However, there’s only 1 restaurant where you can grab a quick lunch, so those of us in the area would love for trucks to come by more often, and have seen them doing so more and more over the past couple of weeks. There have to be many other pockets of the city like this one, and trucks are clearly seeking them out as part of their winter survival plan. Hint: if you live or work in an area with no trucks and a decent amount of people, leave a comment below for the trucks to see!
Catering & Delivery
With Thanksgiving approaching, many trucks offered up special Thanksgiving deliveries and mini catering options. However, nearly all of the trucks offer catering all year round. Often times people don’t realize that the trucks cater, but they do! Luckily, trucks don’t require you to place catering order for ginormous parties; some trucks make deliveries for small groups. If your office brings in lunch for client meetings for 10 people or more, consider ringing up your favorite food truck to hook you up. The Adelita Truck and Brown Bag Lunch Truck even offer delivery for groups of 5. As a food truck freak, we highly encourage you to make 1 catering order from a truck during the winter. If we all do this, we’ll make it easier for trucks to survive the winter lull.
Brick-and-Mortar Partnerships
Both The Adelita Truck and Homage Street Food have paired up with local bars recently to provide food for the patrons. The Adelita truck has taken over the kitchen of Kickoff Sports Bar (Friday through Monday), and Homage is serving up food at Liz’s Liquid Lounge (Tuesday - Thursday 5 p.m. - 11 p.m.. Fri - Saturday 5 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
UPDATE: Susie, who is working on board Haute Sausage, told me today that she is working on partnerships to sell her stellar samosas at gourmet grocers. We also noticed that Rich (owner of Haute Sausge) had added pot pies to the menu, a winter favorite for many midwesterners. These are just two more examples of food trucks are getting creative to keep the trucks rolling!
