From the city that unearthed a trendy treat and brought superficially sweetened frozen yogurt (pronounced fro-yo in LA) to the mouths of Pinkberry obsessives, fatties and food lovers all over Southern California, there is a delicious, new frenzy in town. And Los Angeles is not the least bit sorry. Behold the food truck… yes, a truck filled with food. The idea is so simple, it’s genius. Nothing more than a metal box on wheels packed with all your food favorites, Los Angelenos’ obsession with convenience has been answered yet again. So you can skip lines at stuffed restaurants, food trucks are bringing inaccessible meals to the random streets of LA, all during lunch hour. La Cienega and Wilshire Boulevards couldn’t be more delighted.
But there are a few non-believers out there because for some, the concept is a bit unnerving.
They feel the mobile food carts lack the same taste and health standards as the originals. I say, a little grease and extra preservatives here and there never hurt anyone, right? What actually makes food trucks amazing is that not only are the products up to par but they are reaching customer bases in places otherwise unexplored. Take Sprinkles cupcakes for example. Tucked away in its popular LA location in the pocket of Beverly Hills, the bakery is constantly flooded with people and getting there can be quite the overhaul. However, the Sprinkles Van is able to venture across town with ease. With businesses tweeting away to their followers where their truck will be next, the discovery factory is a part of all the fun. In fact, food trucks are adopting a whole new niche market of on-the-go eaters. More than just a truck, tiny kitchenettes prepare your food as fresh as possible. While the concept isn’t too revolutionary though the hype has been catastrophic.
No longer secluded to just ice cream and tacos, big name corporations and local vendors are following suit—all in the name of food. From In n’ Out Burger and Carl’s Jr. to Sprinkles cupcakes and Kogi Korean Beef, it seems like everyone is catching on. If the food truck craze is doing one thing, at least it’s catching the eyes and filling the bellies of college students. If the rest of the country soon follows, we won’t be surprised either. Stephanie Vazquez, a junior majoring in Political Science and Public Relations at USC, trickles into class coming from her job, seconds before class is about to start. She pulls out a brown bag from her purse and unwraps the metallic paper to reveal a delectable burrito filled with strips of Korean BBQ. “Where’d you get?” I say, jealously. With a smile, she says, “The food truck.”
I’m Chris, a L.A. blogger, music publicity intern, journalist and unabashed pop culture nut. Follow along as I pull the veil from Tinseltown and give HerCampus readers the enchanting reality of living the L.A. dream. Pick my brain at agutos@usc.edu.