FOLLOW THAT FOOD TRUCK!

By now, you’ve probably happened-upon one of those unique food trucks traveling around your city. You’ve also probably noticed the long lines of people waiting outside the truck to get a taste of whatever it is they’re serving. 

Did you ever wonder how those people in line knew where the truck would be? Or what menu items the truck would be selling? The answer 9 times out of 10 is “they follow the truck.”  Huh? You mean they drive around town behind it all day? No – they use free software for their computer and/or smart phone to keep in touch with their favorite mobile food trucks. Continue reading for more info on this interesting subject.

So how do I “Follow” a truck and what does that mean?

Typically, food trucks have a presence on Twitter, Facebook, or both locations. This is how they let their customers know when/where they’ll be each day. In order to “follow” a truck, you first need to have your own Twitter or Facebook account, then following is as easy as clicking “+ Follow” on a truck’s Twitter page  or “Like” on a truck’s Facebook page  or “+1 Add Friend” if their business is listed under their personal Facebook account. (FYI – Facebook has been known to shut down trucks’ accounts because their terms & conditions state that a business cannot run itself under a personal page. Read more here: http://mobile-cuisine.com/marketing/social-media/don%E2%80%99t-get-your-food-truck-business-banned-from-facebook/)

What will the truck tell me if I follow them?

Each truck is different, but typically the trucks will let you know where they’re going to be each day, when they’re going to be there, along with their menu (if it changes or if they have specials.) They might also share food truck industry news with you, information about events in your town or other things that might interest their customers/followers.

Are there any “bonuses” to following a truck on Facebook or Twitter?

There sure are, but it depends on the truck. Some trucks have been known to run specials by posting things like “Mention this Facebook post/Tweet and get $2 off your purchase!!” And in places like LA where trucks have thousands of people following them, it’s actually become a “challenge” to be able to eat from them each day. The truck will tweet something along the lines of “We’ll be at Seneca & Main for the next 35 minutes! Come and get it!” and then it’s up to their followers to get there in time to grab some of their food before they close up and head to the next location. (Sounds fun & exciting to me!)

Can I interact with the trucks via Facebook or Twitter?

ABSOLUTELY! Trucks love receiving feedback and interacting with their customers, whether it’s as simple as you retweeting one of their tweets or by clicking “like” to one of their Facebook posts. You should also feel free to post feedback regarding your visit to their truck via Twitter or on Facebook—both positive AND negative comments are welcome. The only way the trucks are going to know what's working or where they can improve is if someone tells them! And if something wasn't quite right with your visit, chances are the truck will make it right for you the next time you visit.

So there you have it, following a food truck doesn’t mean you have to become a stalker or buy special software for your phone or computer—you simply need to know whether the truck is on Facebook or Twitter, then it’s as simple as clicking a button.  Happy Food Truck Following! :-)

Tips n Tricks for Food Truck Followers

Welcome to July! That month when all you want to do is sit in your favorite watering hole (read as ‘pool’ or ‘lake’, not ‘bar’ or ‘tavern’) and attempt to stay cool.

Since we know you can’t stay submerged all summer, we’d like to give you some nifty pointers for when you decide to “un-prune” and go get something incredible to eat – from trucks.

First, you should definitely make your way to The Boardwalk on Bulverde (view map) on a Friday or Saturday evening. There’s always a nice breeze and once the sun starts to set, it’s actually quite pleasant even on a 100+ degree day. Be sure to pack your cooler with your choice of beverages and ice because the park is always BYOB. If you decide to brave the heat for a Saturday lunch, you can partake in the complimentary (aka FREE) Freetail keg of beer! (This is an every Saturday, starting at noon event—the beer keeps flowing until the keg runs out.) Once you get to the park, that’s when the fun starts. As we said in our Foodtrucking 101: How to Eat at a Food Truck blog, the best idea is for you to bring friends and everyone goes to a different truck then you share everything, but we want to get into some of the slick things we’ve seen the customers of BoB do that we think you might find helpful as well:

1)   Don’t be afraid to mix-n-match. One of our customers grabbed the Ahi Tuna from one truck, but since he wanted a taco, he then purchased a couple corn tortillas from another truck then got some of our spicy chutney to go on top! Talk about creating your own destiny…

2)   Get a little closer. Most of our shaded picnic tables are 6-seaters. Next time you see a couple searching desperately for some much sought-after shade,  invite them over to sit down. Chances are, they’re just as cool as you are and they might even share some tips for what/how to eat at the different trucks!

3)   Pack appropriately. In addition to your cooler, koozies & ample ice stash, when you come out to BoB during the day, please bring some sun screen and/or a hat! Although we have lots of shaded tables, sometimes the angle of the sun makes it impossible for the umbrellas to provide full shade (typically when the sun is going down, mid- to late-evening.) We want you to have a great time without getting a horrible sunburn.

4)   Relax and have fun. We feel this is the MOST important tip listed here. Just because you’re eating from a truck does not mean you’re going to order your food and walk immediately to the pickup window and get it. We’re actually cooking on our truck. It takes time. We try to set your expectation up front that it will typically take about 10 minutes for us to get your food out to you, but please understand if it takes a little longer. No, we’re not putting other people’s orders ahead of you and no, we haven’t forgotten about you. We are just very busy. But that’s a GOOD thing because that means when you get your food, it’s going to be so hot you most probably won’t be able to eat it right away. And more importantly – it’s going to be some of (if not) the best food you’ve ever eaten from a truck. Have a drink and chill ;)

5)   Bring cash.  Although more and more trucks are accepting credit cards, it’s always a good idea to stop by the ATM on your way to the park. From our perspective, there’s nothing better than seeing someone put a cash-tip in our tip jar! (Hint, hint)  ;-)

6)   To-go orders are totally do-able, but we recommend calling ahead for the best experience. Our truck is very small. To-go containers are rather cumbersome and don’t fit well on our small counters, given everything else already there. If you call ahead (~30 minutes), that typically gives us plenty of time to get your order prepared and ready for you when you come to pick it up. If it’s during the day, calling also keeps you from having to sit outside waiting when you could be in the AC of your house/car.

Well there you have it, loyal food truck followers! We hope you now feel a little more “in the know” on what to do/expect when you come out to Boardwalk on Bulverde. The number one goal for anyone who comes out to BoB is that they eat some really awesome gourmet food and have a great time! We hope you come see us soon.