Guide on How To Survive a Food Truck Event

“Suns Out, Trucks Out”

With winter hopefully gone for good, it’s time for Food Truck events to start popping up all over town. Don’t believe the “Game of Thrones” commercials you see, winter is NOT coming but Food Truck Events are.

From a Night at the Fountains to Food Trucks at the Fountains to Second Saturday to you name it, you’ll probably see your Facebook feed be filled with “So and so is INTERESTED in such and such event”. And those events are probably food truck related.

Now when the weather is remotely nice and there’s nothing else to do in Wichita, these food truck events are sure to get crowded. There will be long lines, big crowds, good food, live music, overpriced bottles of water, you name it.

But guess what? As a Food Truck Event veteran, I’m here to help with the ‘Guide on How to Survive a Food Truck Event‘.

With my simple 6 Step Program, I will help you maneuver each event and maximize every single dollar and minute you have, making your food truck event experience the best it can be. But wait, there’s more! If you act now, we’ll throw in a free 7th step! Our operators are on standby waiting for your call.

1.) Research the Event – Every Food Truck Event has it’s own Facebook page these days. For example, Food Truck at the Fountains will have an event page for each one they have at the end of the month. Researching the event allows you to see which food trucks will be there and choose the ones you want to try. It’s usually best to narrow your list down to 2-4 of the ones you want to try.

2.) Bring at Least One Person With You – Yes, some of these lines can get pretty long. By bringing an additional person with you, you can each wait at separate trucks and order the food you want. It’s that simple! For example, I’ll wait at one truck and order food for me and whoever. My friend will wait at another truck and order food for themselves and myself. You can really make it better by bringing more than one person. Maximize the time, Maximize the effort, Maximize the results. It’s like working out but with food.

3.) Bring Cash – While nearly all trucks are equipped with Square or any other payment processor, I’ve come across times where their network connection is slow and they are having issues taking payments. That’s where cash helps. Also if you see someone you know waiting in line already, give them some cash and have them order you something. Then return the favor while you’re waiting in line at another truck.

Surviving Food Trucks 101

4.) B.Y.O.D. – Bring Your Own Drink. I bring a couple bottles of water with me to all events. It helps kill the time while i’m waiting in line standing there. I drink a lot of water when I eat, so buying endless bottles of water adds up for when I’m spending $10-20 per food truck because I’m a pig and always order with my eyes instead of my stomach. I have friends who bring their family and ordering drinks for their whole family can really add up. Let’s face it, eating at food trucks isn’t the cheapest thing to do. So why not save some money here and there by bringing your own drinks? Maximize your money. See the theme here?

5.) Bring Waterless Hand Sanitizer – Most of the foods you’re eating require your hands. You will get dirty. Your fingers will be covered in sauce, they’ll get sticky, napkins will fly away in the Wichita wind. Quickest way to clean your hands and prepare them for the next meal besides licking your fingers is having a small bottle of hand sanitizer/cleaner with you. For the record, I usually forget step #5 and either mooch from someone else or find someones random dog and continually pet them until my hands are dry-ish. I know it’s probably not the most hygienic thing to do but we’re here to Maximize Pocket Space too for all that cash you’re bringing with you to these events.

6.) Try a New Truck Each Time – Part of the fun of Food Truck Events is trying all the creative creations these local vendors are bringing to the city. I get it. As humans, we are all creatures of habit. We know what we like but you won’t know what else you like until you try something new. If we all ate the same thing we liked from day one as humans, our meals would only consist of solely apples from the Garden of Eden. So branch out, try at least one new truck at every food truck event. You’ll be surprised at the deliciouness goodness you’ll find. Guess what? There’s a food truck called Garden of Eatin’ so you can kind of stay in your comfort zone if you’re really that scared.

7.) Keep an Open Mind – Food Truck Events are all about relaxing, having fun and eating good foods. Go into them with a positive attitude. You will have to wait in line; you will pay a little more for food than you may be used to; there may be big crowds. So with that said, keep an open mind and live with the power of positivity. While in line enjoy being outside, take in the atmosphere of it all, take some pictures, read wichitabyeb.com on your phone. and like I said earlier, relax and have fun.

Wichita Food Truck Events are great times to eat food, socialize with people and a way to avoid staying inside all day stuck on the couch Netflixing whatever is popular at the time.

I can’t say enough how much I enjoy them. It took me a few times to finally get the hang of it and truly take in the experience but with this Simple Six Step Program (unless you act now and make it 7 steps) you don’t have to go through the agony of not knowing what to do.

Lastly follow us all through the spring and summer as we continually try new food trucks throughout the months to see which is our favorite.

Happy Dining!