Love is in the air this February with lots of events: the Florida State Fair opens, Wine Weekend in St. Petersburg kicks off, the country celebrates Superbowl Sunday...and did we mention the upcoming food truck rallies?! February 14th is the second Thursday of the month, meaning our monthly Downtown Lakeland Food Truck Rally falls on Valentine's Day! Alongside a display of 20 food trucks in the park, we will be setting out tables with linens, chairs, and will have a romantic playlist set on our mobile DJ truck - perfect for a fun, tasty and nontraditional date night. If you're looking to celebrate Saint Valentine over lunch instead, check out our daily locations page for the food trucks serving near you. Whether you plan to trek out to a truck forever alone or with a date you're sure to walk away with some awesome food. Need another reason to love on food truck dates this month? We've got three more reasons why.

1. Food trucks are a unique alternative to a restaurant. Bring a blanket or some chairs and set up camp at a cozy location to spend some personal time with your significant other (or friend or dog!) You can dine in a more intimate setting rather then a crowded restaurant, buzzing with other couples. Not to mention you'll avoid any awkward interruptions from wait staff. Food trucks provide sauces, disposable silverware and containers that make for an easy clean up and transportation to your "campsite." Food trucks also help you skip the long wait for a table, and avoid fighting for a reservation in advance. Menus are posted for easy access, and the turn time for food is excellent! There's no wait for individual courses to come out or waiting for your check, you can do a simple grab-and-go then set up for an intimate evening.

2. The eats are cheap, convenient and varied. You want BBQ and she wants Vietnamese? You can have both! Most trucks also offer dessert options, sides, and appetizers allowing you to create your own food sampling. Serve up a three course meal with a food truck (or three different food trucks!) You can walk up to the truck and get some quality eats without having to pay $30 each for an entree, as the average main course on a food truck runs about $10. Food trucks also tend to serve larger portions (think of a burger and fries) or smaller sampler portions you can order such as freshly made individual tacos.   

3. There's food for everyone! Do you have a picky eater with you? What about a vegetarian? Food trucks are flexible and willing to help out if your party has some diet restrictions. If a food isn’t disclosed as being vegetarian friendly feel free to go up to the truck and talk to the person at the window. More than likely, they will be able to help you out or make a recommendation! If you are opting to visit a location with just one truck, you can call ahead to ask about the menu. If you’re at a food truck rally just move on to the next truck to see what offerings they have! Are you on the keto diet? You can easily order sandwiches without the bun and skip the carbs. Many food truck menu items can also be ordered without toppings to conform to your date’s hatred of pickles. The possibilities are endless, don't hesitate to speak up!

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!
   
   

Looking for a wedding caterer? Look no further than Tampa Bay Food Trucks (TBFTR)! Headquartered in Tampa, FL we service weddings throughout the local area, including Orlando, Sarasota and Lakeland. Tampa Bay Food Trucks is a professional food truck caterer that has been active in the Tampa Bay wedding industry for over 4 years. We specialize in wedding receptions (including indoor and outdoor venues), rehearsal dinners, wedding brunches, late night snacks, corporate events, birthday parties, retirement and graduation parties, and employee appreciations.

What makes TBFTR unique is that we’re actually about 100 caterers in one. We have the flexibility to customize any wedding package and can help you plan your entire event, or just handle the catering. We are partnered with most food trucks in west-central Florida, and can pair you with the best possible truck(s) for your event. Not every food truck on the street is TBFTR-approved. The food trucks we have selected are all properly licensed, insured, and have a proven track record of high-quality food and service with us. We can ensure you are hiring a truck that will provide prompt and professional service, and mouthwatering food your guests will be sure to remember.

We will work with you to develop a menu that meets your cuisine requirements, as well as your preference for service. We can have your guests order from the truck itself, or set up a buffet. We can handle your entire wedding weekend from start to finish, just your reception, or just a late night request for hot dogs or donuts. We can also provide our TBFTR mobile DJ truck, dance floor, tables, chairs, lighting and assist with other rentals. The sky really is the limit in terms of how you would like to utilize our services.

Call Tampa Bay Food Trucks today, or fill out our information request form here to get started!

Located at the intersection of need and solution, the modern day Food Truck is no longer the eyesores of the office parking lot. When the recession hit in the mid 2000s Food Trucks became the solution to economic decline of the working class. What started with the basic burgers, tacos & sandwiches has evolved into the one-stop-shop for gourmet cuisine on a reasonable budget. Whether you’re craving Savory Abracadabra Crepes from Krepelicious or The Scallywag Seared Scallop Wrap from Rollin’ Zoinks Tampa’s Food Trucks have adapted to the need for variety from their daily customers.

Beyond the wide food selection, modern day food trucks have evolved in their marketing campaigns to attract new business. From incorporating mobile payment systems such as Square and Apple Pay into their social media marketing efforts, Food Truck owners have found a way to mix convenience with accessibility in ways that typical fast food restaurants have yet to provide. Other ways that the food trucks of today have adapted to the needs of their followers are by involving them in every step of the process. By rewarding their visits through Foursquare, Crowdsourcing recipes through Facebook and even special deals targeted to Twitter followers using a special hash-tag, Food Truck owners are using free social media tools to build the network beyond their daily routes.

Who said Food Trucks have to only serve Breakfast and Lunch options? Tampa Bay Food Trucks have welcomed a Mobile DJ Truck perfect for bringing the party wherever you’d like: backyards, public parks and even outdoor wedding receptions. Need a dance floor? No problem. Want to add a barista? They have great connections to book for you .  What about tables and chairs? Also not an issue they have everything you’d need for an awesome event.  If your sweet tooth has been bothering you, have no fear Lizzy Cakes Food Truck is not too far away. With their menu covering every craving from cakes, pies, one of a kind cookies and to die for maple bacon brownies to their white chocolate key lime pie there’s no need to suppress your desires for sweets any longer.

We all appreciate fresh, delicious and nutritious food. Eating together has been a way to celebrate a gathering since the dawn of time. We sit, we talk, we laugh, we eat! Whether you are planning your next family gathering or perhaps an employee appreciation lunch catering event, consider Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally to deliver the delicacies and some music with our Mobile DJ Truck.

Tampa Food Trucks

Have you noticed that food trucks are gaining huge popularity all over the place? They really are an ingenious concept. Taking friendly, skilled chefs and a streamlined menu along for the ride. Portability, self sufficiency and the ability to set up and take down with minimal effort, food trucks provide a deliciously easy option for your next event. Not in Tampa? No worries! We work with over 120 trucks in the Tampa Bay area and beyond! We do business in Central Florida as well!

Treat the Staff To Lunch

When is the last time you showed your employees how much you appreciate them and all that they do? Statisticsshow that workplaces who show their appreciation to their staff secure longer term employees. By throwing in a few perks once in awhile, your staff is more likely to stick around and work a little harder. Providing them with delicious and nutritious food will quell any low-blood sugar attacks and actually help them perform better at their jobs. It's a win-win for everyone. Don't forget, it's a business write-off for you, parties are a 100% write off! What are you waiting for? Schedule an Employee Appreciation Lunch Catering event and see the smiles on their faces. Maybe you'll decide to make it a weekly or monthly event and we can help with the planning!

Food Truck Catering

If your location doesn't constitute a Tampa Food Truck option (maybe your parking lot is a zoo, or your staff seating is less than accommodating), consider hiring Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally to do onsite catering without the truck if  you choose. There are a variety of menu options available; something appropriate for every taste and budget. Your staff will be thrilled about the treat and the office will be aglow. It's truly amazing just how a good meal, music and social time with team members can transform your mood and your entire day!