If you build it, they will come.
And they did…in droves!! With the food truck industry no longer a novelty as it once was, vendors and hungry customers are enjoying the fact that this powerhouse industry is well ingrained into urban culture.
But where did it all begin? Who came up with the crazy idea of serving food from a vehicle??
Let’s take a quick walk back into the pages of the history books, and discover where the idea came from and who was responsible for what has since become a worldwide trend.
It was the year 1866 in Texas, USA. Charles Goodnight, was one of the best-known ranchers in the state, having played a part in inventing the whole industry alongside a handful of others. He was affectionally known as The Father of the Texas Panhandle, smoked over 50 cigars a DAY and at the ripe old age of 91, married his 26-year-old nurse!! But it was his invention of what was called at the time, a “chuck wagon” that was to be the legacy that influenced the hospitality industry today.
Originally built from an army surplus wagon and rebuilt to suit Charles’s own specifications, the chuck wagon was designed to use as a cowboy’s portable food vehicle whilst on cattle trails, usually lasting around a month. The word “chuck” came from the lower-priced part of the beef carcass, which cowboys would use as food. The wagon was fitted with shelves and drawers to hold utensils and other stock. Eventually, the idea caught on and it wasn’t long before the wagons grew in popularity, mostly due to the convenience and logic of the idea. Commonly designed using large, sturdy, four-wheeled wagons with bows across the top covered with waterproof sheets, there was usually a cowhide stretched beneath the wagon bed and fastened at the corners to carry wood.
And as for the important stuff…the food! Black-eyed peas, beans, corn, and cabbage were staples on the chuck wagons, along with plenty of beef and bison steaks, which were also made into hearty stews spiced with chili, onion, and garlic for their long treks. Protein also came in the form of fish, often caught in streams and lakes along the way. And of course, coffee for the cowboys! Served up hot with fresh sourdough, skillet cornbread, or biscuits with each meal, they sure had all bases covered!
Fast forward to today, the year 2021. Food trucks have not only become a household name and thriving business opportunity for many entrepreneurs, wannabe restauranteurs, and husband/wife duos, one of the biggest differences between now and then is the absolute versatility that comes with the job. The old school “chuck wagons” are now a regular fixture on the festival and event circuits. In fact, it would be difficult to imagine a food event or ANY event for that matter, without a portable food trailer, truck or van parked up somewhere. Music festivals, school fetes, community events, charity functions, sporting facilities…all jam-packed with a contraption that was once designed and created simply to feed the cattlemen. You can now find them almost anywhere (and thankfully are now able to track your favorite one with Snack Tracker 😉) from a small town beach carpark in Perth, a trendy Sunday market showcasing Melbourne’s best food, a music festival in Adelaide to a bustling Saturday night in Sydney.
When we think of today’s food trucks, our minds wander towards dishes like Tex Mex Nachos, Butter Chicken, Nonna made the Mediterranean, or quality smoked meats often shredded for burgers or loaded fries. It shows here that food trucks have gone from being a blue-collar, working man necessity to a tasty treat for the whole community, working within budgets of everyone from uni students to professionals.
Another differentiating feature of todays’ “chuck wagon” is that they have exploded in the catering industry. While, once it was common practice for someone to “hire a caterer”, the popularity of booking a food truck to roll up to an event is growing exponentially. Brides and party planners are now choosing the ease of a “kitchen on wheels” over the traditional catering vans, a trend that is also only on the way up!
But can we still call this industry a trend? Having permeated Western culture for well over a century, it would seem the answer would be no. From the humble beginnings back in the 1800s to the culinary revolution it has since become, it would seem the word “trend” is being well and truly misused. As someone who is constantly on the lookout for new trucks, food, and experiences, it can be confirmed that this heady scene is showing no signs of slowing down. Gathering more creative momentum by the day, vendors are being tested in showing resilience to a needy audience, expectant of quality, imagination, visual pleasure, and mind-blowing taste. The disposable world we have found ourselves to be in will dictate who will survive in this culinary version of Survivor, leaving hungry punters and their tastebuds as the ultimate judges.
And whilst the next food truck evolution remains to be seen, leaving the door open for future competition, we absolutely can’t wait to find out! Snack Tracker is waiting in the wings to see how the history books will be written for future food trucking generations! And we are MORE than happy to do our part in working as a test taster in the meantime!
So where are your food truck locations tonight? Download our Snack Tracker app from either app store to check them out!