Food Trucks at F1

 Peached Tortilla's Bahn Mi
Bonnie Berry Photography

Austin is buzzing with the new arrival of Formula One.   In a city that rallies over 100,000 at weekly football games downtown, Austinites have been busy preparing for an international audience of nearly triple that amount. So which food trucks are getting involved down at the race track?

I had the opportunity to interview Tom Ramsey, owner of Snappy Snacks Mobile Catering in Pflugerville.  Host to a fleet of 60 trucks, you'll recognize some popular food truck brands within the Snappy Snacks family.  From the Peached Tortilla to Chi'Lantro, East Side King and Fresh off the Truck, several of Austin's favorite food trucks have used the services Snappy Snacks provide

.

Snappy has contracted with Formula 1 to provide a variety of 15 food trucks representing multiple different flavors of Austin's iconic food truck scene. 

So who will be participating? Here is the interview with Tom: 

1. How did Snappy Snacks become involved with the food truck court at F1?

Snappy Snacks became involved shortly after the contract was awarded to Sodexo. We began discussions very quickly and invited Sodexo for a gourmet tasting and tour of our commissary facility.  Shortly after, Snappy Snacks was offered the opportunity to work alongside Sodexo for all the upcoming events at COTA.

 

2. How many trucks will be there and who is coming?

Snappy Snacks Team will have a combination of 15 gourmet and standard units representing a wide flare of Austin Eatery’s:

·       Snappy Snacks Mobile Catering

·       Chi’Lantro BBQ

·       Papa J’s BBQ

·       Casa Chapala

·       Lucky J’s

·       Peached Tortilla

·       Crazy Fish

 

3. What is Snappy Snacks' role in food trucks in Austin with regards to large events?

Snappy Snacks services a HUB for gourmet and standard mobile operators, we have a state of the art 20K sqft commissary.  This facility allows our operators to bulk buy and warehouse product to service the largest events such as SXSW, ACL, Fun Fun Fest, Pecan Street Festival and now the F1/COTA event.

 

4. How many trucks do you have in your fleet and where will they be generally speaking during F1?

The Snappy Snacks Team will be servicing three main zones. We will have five units located at the Grand Plaza next to the amphitheater, another five units will be located by turn 11 and we will have another five units deployed outside the COTA facility to support shuttle services.

 

5. How will operations change at Snappy Snacks during F1 to accommodate the larger food orders?

Our Snappy Snacks commissary team is quite familiar with the operational needs for these types of events. We coordinate with Sysco weeks in advance to ensure that the custom orders of our operators arrive on time and have the proper amount of onsite freezer and refrigeration services.

 

6. How much food are the trucks preparing for at F1?

Each member of the Snappy Snacks Team is preparing a minimum of 1,500 units per truck per day. While we are anticipating bigger crowds on Saturday and Sunday, our team members are seasoned professionals when it comes to servicing large crowds.

 

7. Who do you think will win the race?

The fans, they will have great food options to select from while enjoying seeing the fastest race cars in the world and we wish for there to be a safe and fun event for all at that are involved at the F1.

ATX Volume 2 is here!

Photo courtesy of Bonnie Berry
of the Seedling Truck food

Whether you're looking for indulgent treats like the Deep-fried Cinnamon Crunch Muffin with Banana & Nutella from Hey!... You Gonna Eat or What or farm fresh fare like Schmaltz' Pickled Okra, Bufalo Bob's Hoppin John, or Cilantro-Pumpkin Seed Pesto from the Fat Cactus.... or if your palette prefers more gourmet grub like the Polenta Cake with Poached Egg and Kale Pesto from The Seedling Truck or Fusion food such as the Bacon Fried Rice with Fried Egg from Be More Pacific, The Trailer Food Diaries Cookbook Austin Volume 2 provides completely different recipes and histories from the food trucks and trailers here in Austin, Texas.  This volume is trickling in stores now.  Follow updates on twitter at @trailerfood

Come visit me and get your copies signed at Book People on my birthday 11/7, at 7pm. 

Here is an excerpt from the Austin, Volume 2 cookbook: 

Gingerspice Ale
Courtesy of Schmaltz

A citrus fresh tonic that uses cloves, cinnamon and ginger.

Yeild:  4-6 drinks

6 cups water

1 cup fresh ginger root, grated

1 cup sugar

4 teaspoons dried whole cloves

4 cinnamon sticks

1 lemon

1 lime

1 orange

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. While water is boiling, grate fresh ginger root. Add ginger root, sugar, cloves and cinnamon sticks to a big or bowl and pour boiling water over. Stir and steep for one hour or more.

Juice each citrus fruit and add to your mixture. Strain through cheesecloth.

This tea can be added to kombucha (1:4) for flavoring or to sparkling water (1:1) for a delicious and refreshing beverage. 

Fall Trailer Events

Photo by Bonnie Berry Photography

We have lots of exciting events and milestones happening this Fall.  The Trailer Food Diaires COOKBOOK Austin Volume 2 comes out this month, and we have a lot of great speaking opportunities.  Stay in touch on twitter @trailerfood, or on our Facebook page.  Our goal is to have our new website up early November so you will be able to read more free stories/recipes, & purchase books and trailer food jellies online for the coming holiday season.  Articles on histories and recipes from the food trucks will resume soon.  Thank you for your support and interest in the Trailer Food Diaries! 

October
October 3: Private speaking engagement at Razor Fish
October 19: featured on Food Network UKOctober 24: Texas Womens' Conference, featured as a local leader
October 26-28: Country Living Fair, Atlanta, Georgia
October 27: Austin Volume 2 of the cookbook series arrivesOctober 27-28: Texas Book Festival, Austin, Texas
October 30: Trailer Food Tuesdays 5p-10p at the Long Center, Austin, Texas

November
November 3: Cooking Class at Central Market featuring Cazamance, Royito's, Fresh off the Truck and Holy Cacao
November 7: Book Signing at Book People
November 15-18: Junior League's A Christmas Affair, Austin, Texas
November 15-18: F1
November 27:  Trailer Food Tuesdays 5p-10p at the Long Center, Austin, Texas

December
December 5: ATX Man Magazine Launch party December 7: Private speaking engagement at UT
December 12-24: Armadillo Christmas Bazaar

The Melting Cone: Austin's newest ice cream truck!

The Melting Cone is one of Austin's newest ice cream truck concepts and will be launching this November at F1.  I had the chance to bend owner Doug Lyon's ear about his truck.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?I love regular Milk Chocolate ice cream….I can't eat enough of it. If you throw in pecans I may have to be rushed to a hospital.

Your love of ice cream started before this food truck.  Tell us about your experience with the Austin Ice Cream Festival:

I founded the Austin Ice Cream Festival six years ago because of my kids and my love for ice cream. There was not a real kids festival in Austin where the music wasn't so loud and everyone was pounding a beer around you. We really felt the need for a family friendly event in Austin and it has shown with all of our success from Food Network, MTV, Joey Chestnut (Hot Dog Eating Champ) coming to eat in our ice cream eating contest and even international press.

Why did you start an ice cream truck?I also have always loved cones since I was a kid, which is why I helped create The Melting Cone. The Melting Cone has the best flavored waffle cones you have had, including Jalapeño and Cinnamon. We coat them or dip them with all kinds of great toppings including Pop Rocks, peppermint, almonds and nuts, and all kinds of other great goodies. I have partnered with Tim Joyner from Austin Scoops. Tim is an an incredible "Ice Cream Man" and can make some of the best ice cream you have ever had. his experience was a big part of me wanting to do this.

What separates your cones from others?
The thing that separates us is our cones and toppings. You will not find these types on incredibly tasty combinations anywhere. We will also be launching unique flavors only available at The Melting Cone….so stay tuned.

Before ice cream, what were you doing?
I studied Advertising at the University of Texas and have always had fun branding and creating cool things including the original packaging for Sweet Leaf Tea and a lot of work for Freebirds World Burrito and Southwest Airlines. So, it was a LOT of fun designing and building a truck with a melting cone on top. It has won Best of Show at a national mobile vehicle convention.

Who are your ice cream heroes?
My ice cream heroes are Ben & Jerry's. They were the first I know to really leap into seriously creative flavors and combinations. I would love to see their facility and meet these guys.

Which food truck person would you most like to meet?The Food Truck person I would love to meet is David Weber. I have been to a seminar he was a speaker at, but would love to sit down and have a cone with him.

Thinking about starting your own food truck?

Food Trailerin’
Pro Tips for Starting Your Own Food Trailer Business
You’ll need a unique product, a healthy dose of perseverance and plenty of time dedicated to marketing.Whatever you think your starting budget is, go ahead and double that, and if you’re not handy, get handy—that will save you in the long run when parts of your trailer kitchen malfunction. Here is some advice for those interested in pursuing their own version of the American dream via a food trailer:

Menu One of the first things you’ll want to determine is the type of food you are serving and your menu selection. You’ll want to keep your menu simple for many reasons. Limited options with only a handful of menu items to choose from will reduce patrons’ time in line and reduce the overall workload in the kitchen. Remember that starting out, you are the one doing all the grocery shopping, food orders, cooking and cleaning. Starting out with a minimal menu will allow you to get food out quicker and save you time before and after your prep work.
Waste Water and grease Operating out of a food truck, food trailer or old RV, you will be dealing with removing waste water from washing hands and dishes, as well as any grease from cooking. Map a plan for a sanitary, environmentally friendly and legal way to dispose of these items on a regular basis that is close to your location.
Understand your electrical needs Make sure the spot you rent for your trailer food business is equipped with enough electricity to power your business. You don’t want to leave any product in your trailer overnight to avoid any electrical blowouts that would turn the refrigerator off and ruin your product. Instead, store food products in your commissary.
Find a commissary close to your trailer location Whether you do most of your prep work in a commissary kitchen or not, the Austin law currently requires you to have a commissary kitchen as part of your license to operate a food trailer. Having a commissary that is close to your trailer location will save you time and money. The same logic can be applied to where you source your food product, if you are not having your product delivered.
Form great relationships With your suppliers They might not always be able to show up on time, so make sure not to get too low in your product before you call in an order. Don’t make your emergency their problem, and pay your bills on time; you might need a favor from them in a pinch, and you want to be in good standing when you have to call them for backup support.
Marketing Don’t leave this part out of your business plan, especially if you don’t have a business plan. Do not expect to get everything ready and receive business just because you turned on the open sign. Make sure your set up your Facebook page, Twitter and website or blog to include pertinent

information: business phone, e-mail, location and hours. Get to know local food bloggers and writers and invite them out to any special tasting events you might be having.Write a decent press release and let the media know about your opening and why you are unique. Introduce yourself to neighboring businesses, and be an active member in your community and the trailer community at large.
Set your hours and stick to them Patrons find it particularly frustrating when they try to find you for lunch and you’re closed. It often is the last time they try to find you.That said, people understand when things prohibit you from opening your business on time as planned. Just be sure to let people know if you are closed on all your social media accounts and with a sign up at the trailer when possible.
Get all your permits Call the health and fire department for the most current information on how to be registered and permitted correctly. Although the process may be lengthy, remember they are there to help you get your business set up correctly. 

This panel discussion featuring the owners of some of Orlando's best gourmet food trucks is moderated by Mark Baratelli, creator of The Daily City and The Food Truck Bazaar, and presented by the Orange County Library System.

September Trailer Food Tuesdays

Event Details:

Held at the Long Center for Performing Arts every last Tuesday of the month, the third installment of Trailer Food Tuesdays is coming this September 25th! Ten local food trucks and trailers will serve their unique menus from 5p-10p.  Family friendly, music, free admission.  Plenty of parking, or find us just off the hike and bike trail close to Riverside and 1st.

Say Hey on Twitter to the September trailers coming to TFT:

The Peached Tortilla @peachedtortilla

Seedling Truck @seedlingtruck

Kebabalicious @kebabalicious

Fresh off the Truck @FreshOTruck 

Nomad Dosa @nomaddosa

Gypsy Kit @gypsykit

Blenders & Bowls @BlendersBowls

Bahn Bahn @bahnbahn
Little Fatty’s @littlefattys

Be More Pacific @bemorepacific

*Find menu updates on Facebook & twitter @trailerfoodtues @trailerfood @longcenter

TFT would not be possible without our wonderful sponsors: 

• Central Market @CentralMarket
• Space Craft @go_spacecraft
• Dripping Springs Vodka @DSVodka
• Good pop @goodpop
• Culture Map @CultureMapATX

Trailer Food Sauces and Jams!

Cherry Fig Jelly in Process

Trailer food fans, I have embarked on a new journey of the Trailer Food Diaries.  My best friend and food truck entrepreneur, Maurine Winkley has joined me in the Jelly Queens kitchen to add jams and sauces to the Trailer Food Diaries collection this fall.  We are featuring the trailer vendor's own unique recipes and have them available on the market.



Our first flavors of the fall are:

Cherry Fig Jelly, from Hey!.. You Gonna Eat or What
Jerk Jam, from Lucky J's Chicken & Waffles
Cranberry Mustard, from MamboBerry