Food Trucks: A Personal Perpective and possibly a little ranting...

I have grown accustomed to living in a trend-delayed area. Even an area so trend-delayed surrounding communities of a similar size make fun of our quality of restaurants and lack of culture. Trust me, I find it as frustrating at times as the next guy. In our technology-savvy era, the ability to maintain a more cultured viewpoint is at my fingertips and delivered to my door (except for Sundays). I walk (no I dont, shamefully we all drive) my white-collared community streets and see snobbery and class-ism is still alive and well. Women strutting with their designer bags as though paying $200 for a purse proves something.

Dont get me wrong, I grocery shop with my sunglasses on and have the designer bag too. I'm exactly the person I would judge in the market. Which may be when I live in this area-transport Bloomington to England and give us all British accents and we would be Downton Abbey. Our ridiculous judgements we continuously trip over like shoelaces-as an attempt to prove we're better than...you. A community constantly begging for status symbols with their Fresh Market and Mercedes dealership.

I paint this picture for you as to preface the recent development of a food truck that has opened in my town and caused a slight twist in the cheeky panties of some in the area. In fact, a few business owners went on the record with our community radio station with concerns on how this development will impact their own 'bottom-line'. To take a listen: Other concerns are with property taxes and the 'unfair' decrease in initial expense as opposed to a brick-n-mortar establishment.

Now, food trucks have been around for years-more specifically decades. I grew up with a milkman who delivered the glass bottles and butter. It was not uncommon to waive him down on the road for an additional request because these men also had the ice cream. Schwann's and Oberweis are still in business and catering more broad menu items for the modern family. The traditional ice cream man exists in my food-insipid town-complete with the creepy van.

Over the last few years, food trucks have been popping up all over the nation. They have been in heavy use in the L.A. area-so much so there is even a website coordinating all the vendor's locations, tweets and menus-updated daily (). As the Top Chef and Gordon Ramsay programming continues to bolster a broader interest in the culinary arts-other chefs are looking for a way to showcase their food without selling their soul to a franchise menu. Food trucks have become a less expensive means to do so. Brick-n-mortar can run into the millions of dollars to start up. With the combination of a recession and the likely-hood of success-this is not a reasonable option for most. In addition, restaurant hours are grueling. Cooks get to work between 5 and 6:30am, often work until 2 or 4pm. Split shifts are not uncommon and dinner hours are from 4pm-10 or midnight. These hours are not conducive to a family, healthy relationship, healthy habits, etc. A food truck can dictate their own hours and days off. In the event of severe weather (especially here in the bi-polar climate of Central Illinois)-as opposed to fighting to get to work and only serve the few meager patrons who stumble in (often only due to a automobile malfunction close by)-the truck can stay safe and parked for the day. I could begin to go on about the trials and tribulations of restaurant staffing, but I have faith in your ability to weigh the pros and cons of having a small vs large staff.

Thus, I'm lead to the conclusion: Is it the food truck my local neigh-sayers are fighting or the change of business dynamic? While I do not believe the presence of a truck will cause any of the b-n-m establishments to fold. I adore the trucks ability to stir the pot and force our local restauranteurs to possibly think about their business in a new way. So thank you Two Blokes and a Bus, for infiltrating our drab food culture by exciting those who love food and throwing a little bangers into the regular mash!