Looking for some inspiration on how to best recognize your employees’ hard work? Ask yourself one question: what’s the best way to warm their hearts?

By filling their stomachs of course! Employee appreciation parties and events are a great way to increase morale by reducing stress, giving everyone a chance to get to know each other outside of the traditional context, and fostering a happier company culture and sense of community. Whether you are looking to hold an event on site or at a different location, corporate events are a surefire way to boost employee morale and spirit. As you plan your next event think about some of the following themed parties:

1. Host a food tasting
   
   What's the best way to expose your employees to new food they haven’t tried before? A food tasting! Eliminate order envy by allowing everyone to sample a variety of offerings, instead of settling on a singular meal. Food trucks have the ability to serve a selection of appetizers/small plates or half meals, with a specific amount budgeted out per person. This gives your employees the option of trying multiple menu items without breaking the bank. Food tastings can be themed, for example a tasting of world cuisines, or maybe even just one cuisine with different types of food ranging from small savory bites to desserts from a particular region.
   
   

2. Sports watch party (football, baseball, soccer)
   
   Invite your employees to bring their favorite jerseys for a sports themed night. Events may be planned to take place the same date or time as a local football or baseball game, or just as a “spirit day.” Research some trivia and post it around the office while you have food trucks outside to cook up some game day grub. Popular food truck cuisines for sports events include fries, hamburgers, grilled cheese, cheesesteaks, hot dogs, and more! Another optional add-on is to set up ice buckets for beer or hire bar service. Tampa Bay Food Trucks can provide this service!
   
   

3. Throw a desserts-only bash
   
   Donuts, ice cream, milkshakes, churros, Italian ice, cheesecake on a stick, cupcakes, and the list goes on. Whether you choose to display a wall of donuts (one of our clients used powdered and regular donuts on a peg wall to make a “50” to celebrate 50 years of business), order directly from the trucks, or set up a buffet of different delicacies, you can’t go wrong with dessert. Food trucks bring a unique experience and desserts are freshly prepared on the spot. Bringing in local street food is a sweet surprise, and ups the ante from a traditional potluck.
   
   

4. Throw down Oktoberfest style
   
   Pair this fest with food trucks who can produce German food such as kielbasa. Think cuisine such as bratwurst, pretzels, sauerkraut, french fries, brisket, and/or meatballs. You can create your own beer garden (biergarten!) on site, or take a field trip to a local brewery. We have partnerships with several local breweries, and can arrange to have the food truck meet you on site. If you’re looking to avoid alcohol, serve root beer or craft sodas instead with custom labels to enjoy with your meal.
   
   

5. Take a trip to the diner with retro milkshakes and burgers
   
   Find some poodle skirts and leather jackets at the thrift store - because we’re heading back in time to the 50’s! Serve Coca Cola in glass bottles, and set up an area with a projector to play an old movie, drive-in style. Really get your employees in the retro mindset by playing intermission snack bar commercials so they have time to refill their drinks and grab some additional food. You can even step up your party’s game with a DJ (or mobile DJ Truck) and a dance floor (which you can find at many businesses for rent including here). Really want to invest in this theme? Hire some guys and girls to serve on roller skates!
   
   

6. Have an 80’s themed party
   
   Ask your employees to dress up in their craziest outfits for this day. Hand out fingerless mesh gloves, and have a bucket of glow sticks at the ready. This is another great party to set up a photo booth area with props such as PacMen, logos (MTV, ATARI), and Rubik’s cube images on sticks for people to hold up. Utilize bright neon balloons, VHS tapes and cassettes from the thrift store, party lighting, and slinkies to hang from the ceiling as decorations. This is another event where the mobile DJ truck comes in handy - prepare with a list of your favorite 80’s hits. Seek out some vintage games like PacMan and Space Invaders for entertainment for those who are a bit shy about busting out dance moves.
   
   

7. Breakfast for dinner
   
   Breakfast food is too tasty to be limited to mornings only! Switch up a traditional catering with donuts, crepes, waffles, yogurt parfaits, chocolate covered strawberries, and/or mini quiches. These events are best held in open air, or in an area with abundant natural lighting. Service options can include ordering and serving directly from a food truck, having employees grab their food in a buffet line, or having butler service.
   
   

8. Chuckwagon Hoedown
   
   Grab some bandanas, and tell your employees to bring their cowboy boots because we’re having a hoedown! Get a BBQ and/or a burger truck (a “chuckwagon!”) to serve your crew. Menu options can include baked beans, macaroni and cheese, fries, burgers, hot dogs, green beans, corn bread, pound cake, lemonade, corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw, the list goes on! For dessert, serve up some pies, and chocolate chip cookies to complement the country-style spread. For venues, consider parks, campgrounds, or local farmland as a nice backdrop and change of scenery. Check out YouTube for some line dancing tutorials or hire someone to teach your employees to dance along to the music!
   
   

Open Fire Grilled Brazilian is headed by Chef Cesar, a world renown meat consultant for Brazilian style foods. Chef Cesar was born and raised in South Brazil. As a young boy Cesar would help his family on the farm butchering cattle and preparing the meat to be cooked. Soon he found himself working at the largest Brazilian Steakhouse Porcao at the young age of 19 and deemed the title "Master Meat Chef" where he was given the responsibility of consulting. With this position he went on to consult and start several Brazilian steakhouses in places like Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany.

Fast forward to 10 years later Cesar was offered to come to the United States by Porcao and open the first Brazilian steakhouse in Miami, Florida. Chef Cesar soon went on to expand the business into places such as New York, Arizona, Missouri, and up into Canada. Chef Cesar has over 30 years of experience and runs Open Fire Grilled Brazilian as a means to share his talented gifts with the communities of the Tampa Bay area and beyond. Chef Cesar's success inspired him to open his own business - Open Fire Grilled Brazilian. This talented food truck has been roaming the streets since 2013, and its mission is to bring authentic Brazilian style food to you to create an unforgettable experience of flavors. Chef Cesar works with his partner and wife Christina to bring grilled meats to the streets of Tampa. Christina has a strong marketing and sales background making the two’s partnership a strong and powerful one. You can often times find her working the truck as a cashier or creating relationships with the truck's clients and customers.

When it comes to the menu of Open Fire Grilled Brazilian they bring the meat to the table. This Brazilian truck boasts tender meats such as chicken breast, sirloin steak, filet mignon, pork, alongside vegetarian options. Meals are served with traditional white rice, black beans, farofa (yucca flour, bacon, and herbs), and a vinaigrette (onion, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, oil, herbs, and a dash of tabasco). The meats and veggies are skewered and grilled to perfection dependent on how you would like your meat cooked. Open Fire Grilled Brazilian also offers grilled sweet plantains, and Brazilian sodas. Steak is Chef Caesars's specialty. Something that makes this food truck stand out amongst the others is how the food is prepared. Open Fire Grilled Brazilian doesn't fry a single thing on their truck and every dish is grilled and made to order. Christina and Chef Cesar decided to call Tampa home because of its up and coming business feel, and strong food truck fans and foodies in the area. Open Fire Grilled Brazillian operates out of Clearwater, but frequents the Tampa Bay area.

The Kitchen By Devin Davis is family run food truck started by Devin Davis, a native of Plant City Florida. The Davis family serves the Plant City and Tampa Bay area with a passionate southern spirit. Devin started his food career in culinary school where he obtained his Bachelors in Culinary Management. After completing an internship Devin sought out a way to bring his food to the people of Plant City. In the beginning stages of his culinary career he sought out positions in the area but never really found a position that fit him to the T, he had to start thinking outside of the box. And what's better then owning your own portable kitchen to drive around the city? Nothing! The Kitchen by Devin Davis was born. The food truck idea was inspired by his parents introducing Devin to the food truck industry and Tampa Bay Food Trucks.  While Devin was and still is young with only a little bit of restaurant experience, he makes up for it with entrepreneur faith in his abilities. After doing their due diligence, Devin opened The Kitchen with the help of his family. 

So why "The Kitchen by Devin Davis"? When looking for a name, they started with a concept. Devin wanted to serve southern food done by his own interpretation. His food would come in a quality with a higher standard then typical street food fare. "Food Truck" was synonymous with "Kitchen" and Devin's passion for food and the basis of his career began and was cultivated in the kitchen. The Kitchen fit his concept perfectly. Devin is the master chef behind all of the food and works that come from his truck, so he included his name in the title. The Kitchen is based simply on cooking good food. Their slogan is "Good Food....Southern Roots". Whether The Kitchen is serving up fried chicken of foie gras, Devin makes it properly and delicious. Besides, good food makes people happy. 

Everyone that works on The Kitchen by Devin Davis is family. Whether it's by blood or close friendship, The Kitchen brings them all together. Some very important people on the truck include Devin Davis - the chef and mastermind himself, his Grandma (better known as Nanny) who plays an integral role in the cooking process, his sister, and parents. Devin found inspiration through his parents who own their own local small irrigation business in Plant City. They helped him begin and grow his business, and all together have helped The Kitchen succeed to what it is today.  

Wondering what's the best thing on the menu? The Kitchen by Devin Davis changes up their menu periodically to keep the menu fresh and allows The Kitchen to experiment and try new things. If there's one thing that stays on the menu - it's the fried chicken. This fried chicken isn't like any other fried chicken you've had it before. The Kitchen by Devin Davis goes through a two step process before even making it to the fryer. After getting crispy and juicy, it's served on a toasted bun with a bright red cabbage slaw and a remoulade sauce. A few of Devin's personal menu favorites include Shrimp and Grits, Bacon and Onion Jam Sliders, and Pulled Pork Tacos. The Shrimp and Grits combines tradition with unexpected flavors. Smoky tomato and chorizo cream sauce, creamy grits, and parmesan are just a few elements to the shrimp and grits served up by The Kitchen. The bacon and onion jam sliders is a juicy burger topped with a salty and sweet bacon jam, caramelized red onions, red wine, white cheddar, and a dijon mustard mayonnaise. Last but not least, the pulled pork tacos are simple but delicious by combining juicy smoked pork with a sweet and savory rub on a toasted flour tortilla with a lime, cilantro slaw and spicy chipotle sour cream. 

The Kitchen by Devin Davis sets themselves apart from the competition by simply cooking great food. The menu is constantly fresh and exciting by introducing new items and changing the menu a bit every few weeks. They strive to use the highest quality ingredients possible by shopping at local farmers markets and utilizing things such as locally made sourdough. The Kitchen also loves a great challenge by working catered and private events where they can stray from the menu and offer unique foods that you can't find on the truck on a regular basis. When we asked Devin what's one piece of advice he'd give someone trying out food trucks for the first time he replied with "Just think of food trucks as you would restaurants. Each truck is different and really tries to put out great food. We all have different concepts and types of food. Additionally, I would encourage you try lots of different trucks to see what's out there. You can easily go out to a restaurant and try something new, but many people don't realize that you can go out and have just as much fun trying out a food truck, and the food will often be just as good, if not better, and you don't have to dress up!" Some food trucks Devin is close with include Sawadee Thai Food (Devin suggests the crab rangoon), Pineapple Shack, Chief's Chill Out, and the Rolling Gourmet.  

#1 Does your venue allow outside catering?

#2 How do you envision your guests being served their meals?

#3 What is the best way to utilize a food truck at your wedding?

#4 What type of cuisine would you like to serve?

Williamsburg Cucina has arrived in Tampa, Florida! This authentic Italian Gourmet food truck started its journey as an idea in a NYC apartment and has now landed itself in the streets of Tampa to bring the fine dining Italian restaurant experience to those who haven’t experienced it before. 

Owners Niky and Sophia met at a Pizzeria under the Brooklyn bridge in New York City and quickly found love not only in one another but in their shared passion for food. The two crossed paths while Sophia was on vacation from Texas and Niky was visiting on a visa from Italy for boxing and training at the world famous Gleasons gym in Dumbo Brooklyn. Sophia quit her job and moved to New York and the two were to be married three months later. Niky put boxing on a hold and pursued his other passion for the food industry (his family owned the most popular gourmet deli and groceries shop in the beautifull town of Rimini, Italy). He started working and managing in some of finest Italian restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn including Trattoria Il Passatore, Piadina NYC, and more. While Sophia was successfully working as a published make up artist, she had deep roots in cooking from her grandfathers: one was a baker and the other served in the army as a chef. It was a few years before Niky and Sophia actually decided to pursue running their own business.

This is how Williamsburg Cucina Caffe' e Bottega was born; born out of an idea of doing something that could both display their love for good food created from amazing local ingredients while remaining true to their roots of New York and Italy. Since a regular restaurant wouldn’t allow Sophia and Niky to travel the country like they wanted and showcasing authentic Italian cooking to people who couldn’t access it they decided to be mobile by opening a food truck.

Williamsburg Cucina offers a different food experience from what you’d expect from the average truck. The truck’s menu ranges from meat and cheese plates to artisanal open faced sandwiches such as the Caprese (toasted open faced sourdough bread with creamy burrata cheese, local roma tomatoes, wild arugula, and Modena balsamic glaze) and the Crostone Classico (with imported prosciutto, marinated artichokes, sicilian sea salt, mayo & EV olive oil). The truck also offers daily specials such as salad bowl with local greens and seasonal vegetables, pastas and sweets such as Nutella croissants and daily baked goods. Williamsburg Cucina goes beyond the typical drink fare with the additional options of imported San Pellegrino sodas, glass bottled Coke products, and local Buddy Brew Cold Brews. 

The concept of this particular truck is farm to table. Because the truck serves local produce the menu changes about three to four times a year depending on their seasonal ingredients' availability. Williamsburg Cucina gets their produce from local Farms, where Sophia and Niky handpick their produce when the farmers aren’t able to. The sourdough bread they utilize in their open faced sandwhiches and other dishes is another local item and is baked fresh before every food shift Williamsburg Cucina attends. See Williamsburg Cucina's current menu. 

What does Williamsburg Cucina Caffe' e Bottega stand for? 

Williamsburg comes from the Brooklyn's  neighborhood that gave Niky and Sophia a home far from their own hometowns that influenced them with it’s artistic vibe and historic surroundings.

Cucina stands for Kitchen in Italian and symbolizes the origin of their concept.

Caffe’ stands for coffee and they decided to serve that because in Italy coffee symbolizes relaxation and chilling out..a moment to appreciate the small things in life. 

Bottega stands for shop as they feature imported goods and handcrafted products from small family owned businesses from all over Italy. 

What does Williamsburg Cucina suggest to those who’ve never tried food from a food truck before? Clear your mind from everything you know or expect from  food truck and let the food take you for a ride. That’s the only way you can truly appreciate the experience! 

Interested in booking Williamsburg Cucina for your next event or wedding? Contact us today to book one of Tampa Bay Food Trucks' resident farm to table food trucks.