Social Media Raises the Bar for NYC’s Beloved Food Trucks

Situation: For many years, New York City has been a major hub for street vendors and food trucks alike. Not long ago, they drove, cooked and cleaned in harmony, each one the landlord of a few designated street spots that they could call their own. And each one with a dedicated clientele that–rain or shine–would make it there for lunch almost every single day. But things just aren’t that simple anymore, as food trucks have become increasingly popular over the past 5 years. Now, there’s more “gourmet” food trucks in this city than anyone can count, each one claiming to have the best food for the cheapest price.

Of course, with an increase in number also comes an increase in demand for prime location. There are a few spots in the city that any food truck would kill to set up camp in on any given day, where the foot traffic never ends and the hungry locals just keep on coming. Over the past few years, street vendors have started experimenting with various neighborhoods–for example, spending their mornings on the Upper East Side, stopping in Times Square for the afternoon, then heading downtown to catch the clubbers after dark. With this cycle in constant motion, how is any hungry New Yorker expected to keep track of their all-time favorite eateries?

Solution: The answer is simple: social media. With access to Facebook and Twitter, street vendors now have the ability to post their current locations and future destinations to all their loyal followers (pun intended). And customers couldn’t be happier with the new trend. In addition, the more gourmet trucks with varying menu items have been tweeting their daily specials with the hopes that customers simply won’t be able to resist the enticing descriptions that appear on their feeds. Instead of relying on word-of-mouth and the spontaneously hungry pedestrian, food trucks now rely on the Internet to make sure they’re seen and tasted.

Results: Popular Belgian cuisine on wheels, Wafels & Dinges, has garnered over 3,000 Facebook fans and 7,768 Twitter followers who read their constant updates on daily location changes, secret codes and special giveaways (e.g. “Tell us the worst joke ever (interpret that how you will) for 1 free dinges.”) CalexicoCart, which serves up everything from delicious braised beef briskets to roasted pork with apple and peanut flavored salsa, has quite a Twitter presence as well with over 3,500 followers and a consistent stream of retweets on their savory Mexican cuisine.

It’s a mobile world we’re living in, and food trucks are, in some ways, way ahead of the pack when it comes to utilizing social media as a business tool. Just ask TheTreatsTruck, for which business has never been better thanks to their 4,211 Twitter followers, or VLAIC, whose 4,346 followers are more than willing to publicize their love for the ice cream truck on their personal accounts. Doug Quint, the brainchild behind Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, has even made somewhat of a local celebrity out of himself with his wide-ranging social media presence. With a blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook page, and an online store all in check and causing business to thrive, Doug is the epitome of a self-made social media star…slash truck driver on the side.

In this day and age, there’s no such thing as just a street vendor anymore.