BENGALURU : Food trucks have been trending for a while now, ever since they entered the circuit in 2014, and I totally get why. The concept combines the fun and ease of quick dining along with quality food, and affords one a chance to try a variety of things, in bite-sized portions. However, it never seemed to take off, at least not the ones that served gourmet food.
A few months ago, I saw a food truck serving Bisibele and mixed rice in the Mini Forest, JP Nagar area, which struck me as a great idea. And there’s a permanent food truck set up in Jayanagar – Bready Steady Go. However for the most part, it is the typical rolls and dosa trucks one sees. I think one reason for this is that Jayanagar and Basavanagudi, old school South Bengaluru neighborhoods, still lean towards vegetarian options.
But overall, food trucks have not reached the expected heights. When people complain of commotion and trash piles when trucks park on their street, or the trucks don’t get enough business, it will make those running them not want to come back to that particular neighbourhood. And, with no designated hawker zone by BBMP and no official permits for parking, life becomes difficult for those running the food trucks, as they are at the mercy of the local cops as well as how they are received in an area.
And with the rule that second hand trucks will not get a license to cook on board and can only serve pre-cooked meals, it restricts things. Getting a brand new truck and setting up the business is a huge cost!
(Natasha Ali helms a blog on food and travel at platedthoughts.com.)