The two friends teamed up to make and sell Korean barbecue-stuffed tacos from a rented truck. He was intrigued when Manguera told him about his idea for a Korean-Mexican fusion food truck. In 2008, Choi was unemployed and unable to find a job due to the recession.

One of the earliest and best-known examples of this phenomenon at work is the Los Angeles food truck Kogi founded by chefs Roy Choi and Mark Manguera. 8Īt the same time, the explosion of social media usage, particularly Twitter, allowed food trucks to build buzz and, importantly, share their location with customers. Many people out of work because of the bad economy saw operating a food truck as a way to get back on their feet while providing customers with affordable, high-quality food. But the Great Recession of 2008 changed that. For example, the poor sanitation practices of some construction-site food trucks caused them to gain the unflattering moniker of “roach coaches.” 6įor years, food trucks languished under this reputation. With little competition, some vendors let standards slip. With this change in scenery came a change in reputation-and not one for the better, unfortunately. Welcome in few other places, food trucks often parked at construction sites and other areas that had lots of blue-collar workers and few lunch alternatives.

During the 1960s, the United States saw a building boom, and vendors saw an opportunity. This is how food trucks gained their association with construction sites. Progressively marginalized, some vendors sought new niches. 3ĭubbing vendors the “pushcart evil,” these established interests lobbied-often successfully-for increasingly restrictive regulations on street vending. Many brick-and-mortar businesses also resented the competition vendors provided. 2īut as private stores became more popular, small-business owners and the business elite in many cities across the country saw ridding the streets of immigrant vendors as a way to modernize their cities. 1ĭuring the first few decades of the 20th century, street vending was viewed as a legitimate business that provided work to a growing immigrant population. As public markets declined and private stores grew in popularity during the late 19th century, outdoor vending continued in the streets of poorer areas. Food trucks in the United States find their genesis in public markets, where some vendors who could not afford stalls would set up outside to sell food and other wares. Though food trucks’ current popularity began with the Great Recession in 2008, food trucks have been around for decades, and their lineage goes back even further.

Harvard food truck challenge