I Want Food Trucks for Lunch Too!

Whenever we post things to the SactoMoFo Facebook page we always get a lot of comments such as "Come to Roseville", "They never come to xxxx", "We want them too!".

I admit that I have an 'in' with the trucks. But when Miniburger first started out they did not come to CalPERS. I kept telling Davin, "You need to come to CalPERS, it's a restaurant desert over there. I know you will have enough business."

Finally, after about a month, he showed up on a miserable, wet, windy, cold day. He thought it would be slow and he was a man down, so it would be easy for them. Wrong! There was a line of about 20 and he did a bustling business. He's been here every week since.

You want the food trucks to come to your office area? Here are some thoughts and tips for you.

• Are you in a restaurant desert area with a lot of other office workers who want lunch alternatives too? Remember, restaurants don't like the competition, so the fewer around the better.
• Do you have enough customers for a long lunch so that the trucks can stay there the whole lunch time without having to move very far or very often?
• Is there a place where you can suggest they park? Remember that in the City they have to park on the streets at meters and obey the 30 minute rule. Out in the County, they prefer to be on private property with owner's permission.
• Do you have the ability to spread the word about them coming not only to your own office, but to surrounding offices so that they will have a customer base for an extended rush?

If so, then it's time to start soliciting them. They will come out at least once to check out if you can keep the promise of customers, but if not, don't expect them back. For that reason you might consider creating a petition asking them to come to your area.

The thing about food trucks is that they will go where it is cost effective for them - plenty of customers without having to constantly move to find other customers. And if you happen to steal them away from CalPERS on a given day, more power to you. I just want them to be successful, wherever they land.