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Wheels for meals

16th Jul 2015 - 07:24
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Abstract
Using mobile vehicles to serve food eases pressure at busy catering sites during peak times and for special events. It’s becoming an effective part of an operator’s armoury in the US, as Amanda Baltazar explains.

The phrase “meals on wheels” is being given a new lease of life – and significantly better food – in the US with food trucks appearing everywhere, from street corners in hip cities to hospital grounds and university campuses.

Their uses are manifold – they can provide an additional kitchen, are mobile and can be rented on an as-needed basis – but are we going to see them at British catering venues in the near future? Looking at what Americans are doing with them should help us find out.

The University of California at Berkeley hires food trucks between three and ten times a year when it has many more mouths to feed at special events.

The trucks are owned by local businesses, and when hired by the university, they arrive ready to go, manned with chefs, food and equipment.

“We use them to support the campus and add something special or unique to a day,” says Lucky Vasquez, director of retail operations. He hires the trucks for Cal Day, when around 20,000 prospective students come to tour the campus, and for athletic and sports events.

“I could have my restaurants open and try to serve the campus, but this takes some of the pressure off our concession stands,” Vasquez says.

The university rents different trucks, offering food ranging from Asian fusion to Korean, hot dogs and Mexican. There’s even one that offers only desserts.

There are a lot of policies surrounding the food trucks, something that brought into sharp focus last year when a truck exploded in Philadelphia wounding 13 people, five of them critically.

“There’s a lot of hoopla we have to go through,” Vasquez says.

The regulations involved include an ‘open flame’ permit, $2.00 million (£1.27 million) aggregate insurance that includes liability, a permit for parking and transportation, and a permit to be on campus.
“We even need to submit a form to the environmental health and safety team in case there’s a food-borne illness,” he says.

Some of this needs to be done on a per-event basis, though he is able to arrange the health permit and insurance annually.

The food trucks are also only allowed in certain locations on campus. A fire lane always has to be available, so they can’t be in pedestrian areas, and Vasquez never puts them all in a line “because if one explodes, they’re all going to go”.

The trucks also have to comply with the university’s zero-waste initiative. That means using only compostable plates, cups and cutlery, and they can only serve Pepsi products, no Coke, as the campus has an exclusive contract with the former.

The university doesn’t make a lot of money from the food trucks, “but it’s about service and value,” says Vasquez.

Each truck typically pulls in $5,000–7,000 (£3,200–4,500) a day, of which only about $500 (£320) goes to the catering department.

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Meyers, Florida, will soon start using a 28ft multipurpose trailer to feed construction staff on the hospital grounds since the work is ongoing and forecast to last at least five years. Currently, there are 500 contract employees needing lunch every day.

The trailer came fully equipped with ovens, fryers, a propane gas grill, a char broiler, a variety of steam table set-ups and some beverage equipment.

“It’s about the same size as a standard short-order line in any kitchen,” says system director, food and nutrition services Larry Altier.

“There’s about 300ft2 in the trailer, and it’s equipped like a very small pantry-type kitchen. It’s intended to be manned by two full-time employees and a third for peak meal periods.”

The food, like most of the construction workers, will be Hispanic, featuring quesadillas, tacos and nachos, as well as traditional hamburgers, grilled chicken breasts, hot dogs and chips.

Altier anticipates serving around 400 people a day and revenue of close to $2,200 (£1,400).

The Lee Memorial will move the trailer along with construction projects and leave it in place for the duration of them, moving it only if needed for other community events, which happen between four and ten times a year.

“It’s easy to move – it takes about half an hour to get it ready – and simply ties into the electrical and water systems, and a generator at its new location,” says Altier.

The trailer wasn’t cheap – around $40,000–45,000 (£25,500–27,000), according to Altier – and while the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, the latter are sizeable.

“It’s small and there’s a lot of heat output, so it won’t be the most comfortable situation for the staff,” he says. “Plus, you’re limited by the fare you can serve because of the time you have to cook it.”

Chesapeake School District in Virginia also has a vehicle on wheels for its summer catering programme, but it’s an old school bus – taken out of circulation as it was not safe enough to transport children – rather than a truck, according to catering director Joanne Kinsey.

She gutted the vehicle and fitted it with warmers and refrigeration units. It also has heating and cooling units so it can be used year-round.

Outside, the bus has been painted white over its trademark yellow, and the words “Cruisin’ Café” are emblazed on the side; the back says “Nutrition Express”.

Food won’t be prepared in the bus – rather, the vehicle will be used to transport packed lunches that have been prepared in kitchens. There will be space for the driver and two or three employees.

In order to feed as many children as possible, the serving area will be set up under an awning outside the bus, Kinsey says, where employees also work in the shade.

During the summer, she expects to feed 500–750 students at five different sites.

The bus itself may have come without a price tag, but it’s been an expensive project. Kinsey spent around $40,000 (£25,500) for the generator, air conditioner, the exterior paint and the retractable awning.

During the school year she hopes the bus will be a Nutrition Express nutrition mobile, visiting different schools and giving nutrition classes to the children, as well as a snack, with the inside decorated with nutrition posters and informational items hanging from the ceiling.

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Written by
PSC Team