At the core of New York City is its bustling on-the-go energy lies food trucks – once simple meals-on-wheels, now rivaling even the finest brick-and-mortar restaurants with delicious offerings that range from fresh seafood and mouthwatering meat dishes to creative vegetarian cuisine and inventive veggie offerings.
For instance, when craving sweets, visit Wafels & Dinges for their delectable Spekuloos (a spread similar to cookie butter). El Rey del Taco provides traditional Mexican street cuisine.
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1. Smorgasburg
New York City is unique – a shopper’s paradise that also serves gourmet cuisine – but one of the most challenging places in America for food truck entrepreneurs to establish themselves. Due to strict ordinances and fierce competition from well-established carts, stalls, and casual eateries, it can be an uphill struggle trying to establish yourself here.
Yet NYC chefs persevere. A vegan food truck called The Cinnamon Snail has made waves by serving dishes such as their breakfast sammie stacked with scrambled tofu, smoked coconut “bacon,” marinated kale, vegan hollandaise sauce, and pickled red onions on homemade challah bread – just one example of their game-changing food in New York.
Smorgasburg is an outdoor food bazaar held every Friday through October at the World Trade Center and Williamsburg and Prospect Park markets on April 1-2, respectively.
2. Food Truck Fest
Food Truck Fest, Central New York’s annual gathering of food trucks, will occur again this year and feature friendly competition between food truck vendors with prizes for best food, music, and more. Foodies will have plenty of opportunities to sample new dishes while local artisans and crafters showcase their wares at this exciting event!
Foodies, shoppers, and music fans will all love this event! Over 15 gourmet food trucks and stalls will serve everything from classic street fare to unique fusion dishes; additionally, you’ll have access to local artisan vendors selling one-of-a-kind gifts!
Food truck events make a group outing or date night activity enjoyable, giving attendees a taste of some of the city’s top eateries while listening to live music by leading artists. Plus, all proceeds from this event will go directly back into local public schools!
3. Food Truck Rally
Food trucks have quickly become a part of NYC life, serving everything from fresh-fried falafel to juicy burgers – there’s even seafood! They offer quick lunchtime bites and delectable meals-on-wheels that rival Gotham’s finest brick-and-mortar eateries.
While the stakes may be high (with stringent ordinances and fierce competition from established carts, stalls, and casual eateries), newcomers can make an impactful impression with an innovative concept and exceptional drive to succeed. To reach their goal of dominating their marketplace.
Grand Bazaar and NYC Food Truck Association are joining forces this spring to bring you New York City’s biggest curated food truck event! On Saturday at 100 W 77th Street, 15 gourmet trucks will serve lobster rolls, stuffed French toast, and tacos – 100% of proceeds go directly to four local public schools! Secure your spot now by buying tickets.
4. Food Truck Festival
Food truck festivals provide an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate your business and attract new customers while testing out menu items. Spread the word of your event via social media, email updates, and local influencers, or collaborate with other vendors, such as beer trucks, to cross-promote each other with discounts available to pairing customers of each car – for instance, you could team up together and offer pairing deals at reduced rates!
The Halal Guys is an iconic NYC eatery, serving tourists and locals delicious chicken and gyro platters over rice, falafel sandwiches, or falafel-topped salads. Don’t miss this beloved truck on any lunch break in the area.
El Rey del Taco is another iconic New York food truck offering tacos and burritos filled with everything from pastor (pork) to lengua (legume or tongue). Wafels & Dinges also offers incredible waffles topped off with speculoos, an indulgent substance similar to cookie butter that provides extra crunchiness on every bite!
5. Food Truck Carnival
Don’t miss this unforgettable event where you can sample food from over 50 food trucks and shops! As NYC’s biggest curated food truck event, 100% of proceeds go directly towards four local public schools benefitting over 4,000 children! There will also be fun contests, such as a lollipop-licking competition and a pepper-eating contest to test who can handle the heat! Don’t miss it – register today to be part of something truly unique.
Smokin’ Sammies serves delicious homemade sausages with pickles and spicy mustard, while Birria-Landia serves authentic Tijuana-style birria tacos and mulitas.
If you’re starting a food truck, attending events is critical to its success; these opportunities allow your product to shine while building customer relations. Food trucks typically maximize their events through social media by creating event-specific hashtags and cross-promoting with other businesses, as well as producing high-quality videos and photos of their food – which many food truck owners do through social media posts featuring event hashtags or by creating quality videos and pictures to show customers their product at its best!
