How Did Food Trucks Become So Popular?
Food trucks are a staple for foodies and people who love convenience. Food truck rallies have become major events, and some people will travel large distances in order to visit their favorite food truck. This is a relatively new phenomenon outside of major metropolitan areas, so what happened that spurred this love of food trucks?
The First Food Trucks
Today’s food trucks tend to be pretty high-tech and have all the bells and whistles. If we take out food carts and stations from the Roman-era, the first iteration of a modern-day food truck is actually the chuck wagon, which was first introduced in the 1860s. The chuck wagon was used on cattle drives to provide fresh food. This has evolved over the years as street food carts, which populated big metropolitan areas, construction sites, and university campuses. The focus has been on providing good food with minimal overhead and cheaper prices. Over time, as restaurants and chefs looked for more affordable ways to start a restaurant, food trucks have started to take off and make their way to more varied areas of the world.
Food on the Go
With so many people spending at least one meal on the go, if not two or three, having food options that taste good and require little to no effort are incredibly popular, especially if they move quickly. Work lunch breaks are short, and eating leftovers or a PB&J every day for lunch can get boring. It can also be a challenge if you’re out and about all day to pack enough food and take it with you. At the same time, a sit-down restaurant takes a lot of time; fast food isn’t really a great option either. Food trucks fill the gap of good food that comes quickly and is often centrally located, making them a popular option.
Wealth of Options
Regardless of what kind of food you like, it’s highly likely that you’ll find a food truck that serves it. This becomes incredibly useful if you want to go out for food with some friends but you can’t agree on a place to go. Rather than arguing over food, you can head to a food truck round-up and everyone can pick the food that they want without having to argue about it. You can even still all eat together without having to sneak food into another restaurant or head home.
If you’re puzzled by the food truck popularity trend, that means you probably haven’t tried one yet. Now’s the perfect time! If you have a favorite cuisine, you’re sure to find it in a food truck somewhere!
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