Bold Life magazine highlights an ongoing food trend in Western North Carolina – the food truck. From tacos to barbecue to meatloaf, the food trucks around the mountains offer it all.
From Bold Life:
Starting last summer, it seemed that every culinary media outlet — from Bon Appétit to the Food Network — had discovered food trucks.
Those humble kitchens on wheels, once the sole domain of hot dog vendors and Italian sub sandwich makers, were now as likely to be manned by classically trained cooks and former head chefs from white-tablecloth restaurants. Were low prices and low overhead the key to staying in the food business during the economic crisis? Or was it a backlash against the excesses that had gotten us into the crisis in the first place? Regardless of the reason, the trend is now a full-blown phenomenon: look for Food Trucks: A Race Across America, a new reality show coming to the Food Network later this year.
Scott Schronce wasn’t trying to be trendy when he (along with friend Executive Chef Dave Rowland) left his position as Catering Manager at the Grove Park Inn to start Chefs On The Go, a mobile food truck, in late 2008. After over 12 years at the Inn, he was ready for hours that he could control and the opportunity to be his own boss. Now operating the truck solo, he says he hasn’t reached financial security, but the decreased stress is worth the drop in income. After a few moves, the truck is now located at US 70, next to Dynamite Roasters, which leases space to him and lets his customers eat inside or out on their deck.
2 Comments
Good to hear that food trucks are now rolling on North Carolina.
Not in the city of Asheville my friends, Concession trailers are not allowed in the business district of Asheville city limits! I am in the process of fighting to pass this law for my Lebanese street food trailer since I cannot get the funding to open my restaurant Zeytoon in West Asheville. I will keep you posted with my progress and will definitely need Asheville’s’ support on this issue.