julie kendrick for meetings + events -- food truck trends

8/10/2019 Julie Kendrick for Meetings + Events -- Food Truck Trends

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36 MNM+E|WINTER 2015


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MN.MEETINGSMAGS.COM 37

On aRoll

Iffood service at meetings and events was anything

like the social hierarchy of a high school cafete-

ria, then food trucks would definitely be the cool

kids table. While the humble box lunch or the ho-hum

plated meal stand by on the sidelines, food trucks have

been soaking up plenty of attentionand lots of posi-

tive buzz. Increasingly, this urban-hipster meal choice is

making an appearance at meetings and events of every

shape and size, right here in the North Star State. Why

are Minnesota meetings and events so gung-ho for these

restaurants on wheels?

Were on planners radar because our industry is

super hot right now, and its only getting hotter, says

John Levy, president of the Minnesota Food Truck

Association. Levys association includes more than 60

food trucks, with more than 80 percent of total active

food trucks in the state. The association builds aware-

ness, advocates for rights, and, as its website states,

promotes the general awesomeness of the blossoming

Minnesota food truck scene.

Since they were first introduced to the area more than

four years ago, food trucks have captured the imagination

of downtown lunchtime crowds, taproom regulars and

festivalgoers. Now theyre becoming part of the wow fac-

tor for meeting and event planners looking to add a fun

new twist to traditional food and beverage components.

Place your order at the window, step to one side

and prepare to be amazed. Food trucks are the

newest way to offer up food that keeps everyonesmiling, including meeting planners.

BY JULIE KE NDRICK


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Whats For Lunch?Hot Indian Foods, home of the Indurrito, has

been working steadily at corporate meetings

since it opened. I spent 15 years at General

Mills in marketing, corporate strategy and cor-

porate venture capital, so Im fortunate that I

came into this business with some terrific con-

tacts who plan corporate events, says owner

Amol Dixit, who also opened a brick-and-

mortar location in Midtown Global Market in

May 2014. For large-scale events, we simplify

our menu to serve a large number of people in

an efficient amount of time.

The truck was recently a menu option at

the conclusion of General Mills annual Brand

to Win marketing meeting held at the Guthrie

Theater. Attendees were asked to indicate

during registration whether they wanted a

standard box lunch or a meal from the food

truck, which was parked right outside the

theater at the conclusion of the meeting,

Dixit says. That advance notice helped us

gauge the volume wed need well in advanceof service.

Cupcake on the Go is the distinctive orange

truck run by the four-location local bakery.

Owner Kevin VanDeraa says hes been focus-

ing the truck exclusively on events these days.

People love coming up to the window, placing

an order and being handed their own choice of

cupcake, he says. When the weather is nice,

its a chance to get outside and chat with fellow

employees. Its a hipper and trendier way to say

thank you than just bringing baked goods

into the lunchroom.

The MidNord Empanada Truck has also

experienced an uptick in corporate bookings.

The truck, which serves traditional Spanish

empanadas and nontraditional choices

like mac and cheese and the Juicy Lucita,

sells in downtown Minneapolis during the

lunch hour and at local taprooms, including

612Brew, Fulton and Harriet Brewing in the

evenings. Its a great employee benefit to

have a food truck show up, either as a break

from the corporate cafeteria, or to supplement

employees choices if there isnt a cafeteria,

says Megan Gaffney, co-owner. The truck has

made appearances at The Nerdery, the Ford

Center in Minneapolis North Loop and the

Sportsmans Guide in St. Paul.

Speed is KeyRoaming Hunger, based in Los Angeles, is

a turnkey service that offers event planners

a one-stop shop for access to multiple food

trucks. These kinds of events can be tumul-

tuous and complicated, and we make it easy

for planners, says founder Ross Resnick. His

site lists 4,500 vendors, located in every state.

Locally, hes booked events that feature Simply

Steves, Fork in the Road, Wicked Palette,

AZ Canteen, Hola Arepa and Dandelion

Kitchen. His group recently booked a sev-

en-truck, 1,000-person event for the Deluxe

Corporation in St. Paul. Resnick suggests that

planners make sure they include a wide variety

of cuisines when planning a multi-truck event.You want to have some traditional fare, but

also some choice for more adventurous eat-

ers, he says.

Another important consideration for any

food truck event is speedy service. Long lines

may be part of the treasure-hunt thrill of the

sidewalk food truck experience, but theyre a

big no-no at events. Michael Clark, manag-

ing director of The Depot Complex, has held

several events that feature food trucks in the

outdoor Depot space. Theres a trick to plan-

ning these events, so there are enough hungry

people to make it economically beneficial for

the food trucks, but with service thats quick

enough to keep people happy, he says.

An Event MainstayDuring festivities surrounding last years Major

League Baseball All-Star Game, AZ Canteen,

the Andrew Zimmern-branded truck, par-

ticipated in an event at the Mill City Museum.

While DAmico Catering served guests inside

the building, the canteen rolled right into

the esplanade and served guests directly from

the truck. We have a flat-panel screen thats

revealed when our awning folds up, says John

Larson, one of the trucks co-managing part-

ners. We played baseball highlights that night,

but we can also show videos from executives,

slide shows, or even messages from Andrew

himself. The truck, which plans to spend some

time in Minnesota this winter, will also be

doing an AZ to AZ series of events in Phoenix,

in conjunction with the Super Bowl.

The Depot included food trucks at the annu-

al Brew Love event, and Clark recently orga-

nized a food truck lunchtime gathering to ben-

efit Ronald McDonald House, the signature

charity of CMS, the Renaissance Hotels parent

company. For that event, Clark booked The

Red Pig & Truffle, Little Gs Mobile Pizzeria,

The Moral Omnivore, Topolo Tacos, OCheeze

Food Truck and Foxy Falafel. We had great

crowds, raised money for a worthy cause and

everyone had a great time, Clark says.Many local trucks are increasingly being

used for sponsored events, providing branding

and promotional buzz for new food products or

other services. AZ Canteen has served free sam-

ples of healthy gazpacho in conjunction with

Health Partners Yum Power program, which

has an Eat With Your Mind Open slogan.

Roaming Hunger was in town last summer

with a custom truck promoting Beech-Nut

baby foods. Stationed downtown on Nicollet

Mall, the truck offered free samples of adult

options made with its product, including

strawberry and apple tart made with Beech-

Nuts just apple & strawberry, green salad made

with just Bartlett pears vinaigrette and just

apple and pumpkin cheesecake. Resnick, the

Roaming Hunger founder, is confident that

food trucks will be a main attraction at many

events for quite a while. Its a way for someone

to experience freshly prepared food anywhere,

he says, and thats not going to slow down

anytime soon.


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WHAT ARE WE EATING?

Roaming Hunger reports that these

are the top types of food truck

cuisine in Minnesota:

Sandwiches: 24.1 percent

Tacos: 17.2 percent

Burgers: 11.5 percent

Hot dogs:9.2 percent

American classics:8 percent

HOLA AREPA


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MORAL OMNIVORE


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AZ CANTEEN Known for signature dishes like theCabrito Butter Burger and Crispy Pork Belly with GreenPapaya Salad, the canteen will be open in Minnesota

this winterthat is, when its not on the road for theAZ to AZ Series. @azcanteen; azcanteen.com; 612.615.1115

CRAFT CATERING AND MOBILE KITCHENNatalie Smoliak, catering manager of what she callsa traveling culinary experience, says off-site catering

will be up and running this winter, while the big yellowtruck will close for the winter. @craftcateringmn;craftcatering.com; 612.345.1695

GASTROTRUCK Moe Regnier, catering direc-tor, reports that his trucks handcrafted modern

Midwestern cuisine will be available this season as wellas catering. @gastrotruck; gastrotruck.mobi; 763.607.6055

GRILL WORKS Will and Amy Cave will be dishingup their distinctive diner-style food this winter.

@grill_works; grillworkstruck.com; 651.955.2539

HOT INDIAN FOODS Amol Dixits truck and booth

at Midtown Global Market will be serving specialtiesincluding the Indurrito (Indian burrito) and Indi Frites(Indian-seasoned fries) all season. @hotindianfoods;hotindianfoods.com; 612.508.1949

HOUSE OF HUNGER FOOD TRUCK ANDCATERING Wesley Kaake operates year-round withfood truck services and full-scale catering for private,

corporate and film industry events. @houseofhunger;houseofhunger.com; 612.275.4527

KABOMELETTE Husband and wife Greg and ChelseaMiller serve kabobs, omelettes and more from theirlittle red trailer all year long and offer a full catering

menu. @kabomelette; kabomelette.com; 612.644.7856

LULUS STREET FOOD & THE RED PIG &TRUFFLE Chef Christian Orosz will be serving thiswinter, either directly from his two trucks or with a fullmodern buffet line and plated service. @lulusstreetfood;@TRP_Truffle; lulusstreetfood.com; 651.233.8 144

MOTLEY CREWS HEAVY METAL GRILLThis food truck that serves up Philly-style sandwichespromises to make food that rocks through the harsh

winter. @MotleyCrews; motleycrews.com

NATEDOGS Nathan Becks slogan is Quality Wieners.

Minnesota Farms. He caters many events throughoutthe year. @nate_dogs; natedogs.com

STAYING OPENYEAR-ROUNDThese trucks are

among the brave

ones that are plan-

ning to remain open

part or all of the

winter, especially

for events.

BREW LOVE

GetConnected

Cupcake

@cupcakeonthego

cup-cake.com | 612.378.4818

Midnord Empanada Truck

@MidNordTrucks

midnord.com

Minnesota Food Truck Association

mnfoodtruckassociation.org

Roaming Hunger

roaminghunger.com

1.800.568.9370

julie kendrick for meetings + events -- food truck trends

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