PopUp Republic

Food Trucks

When we first started our company, one of the first decisions that we made seems a bit silly, but ultimately played a major factor in determining our perspective of the pop-up industry: Can food trucks be considered pop-ups?

As mentioned, pop-ups are temporary, one-off events that provide a fear-of-missing-out experience for customers. They are here today, gone tomorrow, and create a sense of urgency that is not found in any other retail or dining experience.

Food trucks offer much of the same—food that you can’t get anywhere, passion and love that is not typically found in permanent restaurants, and creativity that is limitless. However, many of the food trucks we have worked with open every day, in various locations around towns and cities nationwide. Can something that is open every day, but will often appear in a different location, be considered a pop-up? Our answer is “yes.”

The food truck dates back to the 1800s, when Texas-based cattle rancher Charles Goodnight outfitted an old chuck wagon with shelving, drawers, kitchenware, and foods such as beans, coffee, and bacon, and followed various trails that led him to markets in the Northern and Eastern United States. Nowdays, mobile dining innovators such as Los Angeles–based Roy Choi use food trucks as creative dining concepts, creating multi-million-dollar businesses out of these roving restaurants.

Rules and Regulations

The rules and regulations associated with operating a food truck are similar to those ...