The last two years have been a whirlwind for us as a company and naturally for our team members and partners as well. That being said, you haven't heard as much from us on our blog and until recently our social channels were quieter than normal. 

With an extremely busy 2021 and first half of 2022 it's been a lot of fun and a lot of work. So midway through June, the team embarked on a one day retreat for fun and relaxation. 

No work, just good times with our team. It was a blast. We encourage you all to to also engage your teams in such outings. We're extremely thankful we get to engage with so many customers in helping them to appreciate their team members. Thank you for your business and support over the last two years. 

What draws people to rallies and different food truck events? It’s the food of course! Most importantly, it’s the variety. As the food truck industry continues to grow, there is a need to expand into different culinary genres in order to offer an even more diverse and original variety of dishes!

We are constantly researching and monitoring what cuisine options are working and what is not. We wanted to share our findings to help your truck become a contributing partner in the growth of the food truck scene here in Tampa!

Here are the top 10 Food Trucks that the Tampa Bay Area needs to see more of:

• Middle Eastern
• Wings
• Indian
• Chinese
• Thai
• Mexican
• Seafood
• Churros
• Empanadas
• Poke Bowl

Here are the top 3 that are already saturated in the market:

• BBQ
• Shaved/Italian ice
• Cheesesteaks

You can go anywhere to get average food, and that’s why we suggest branching out of your comfort zone and trying something new. Tampa is exploding with diversity and flavor, and that’s what is performing best right now! The trucks we work with are a collection of different local eateries that reflect their favorite family recipes as well as new, fun trends that are happening in the foodie world.

If you ever need help or consulting starting your brand, you can check out our seminar on how to start a food truck or even engage us to develop your branding down to truck name and menu items. Our Chief Eating Officer, Michael Blasco has been in the food truck scene since 2011. For a full list of our services, click here.

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!
   
   

How To Organize A Food Truck Event

Organizing a food truck rally is no easy feat! Between chasing down a food truck (or a dozen trucks!) to attend your event, ensuring they are properly licensed and insured, hoping they will show up on the day of, and that they have the capabilities to serve the number of people you have in the time allotted, it’s a task with many moving parts. How well versed are we in these difficulties? We’ve encountered new ones every time we’ve done an event! With several years of experience in hosting food truck caterings and events in Tampa Bay, we have handled just about every eventuality that may occur during your event - which means we also have a big head start on developing a work-around solution!

Part of our process begins with vetting the food trucks themselves. When you look to hire a food truck it can be a shot in the dark. Are they going to meet your expectations and be reliable? Is their food quality consistent? Can they deliver a great customer experience? Are they able to turn tickets quickly enough? We can recommend the appropriate number of trucks to fit your needs, and who will deliver the services you require. The trucks we work with have been determined to be reliable partners through experience, and know our standards and procedures. We can also help to ensure the trucks have the information they need prior to arriving, in order to be well prepared for your event. This does not mean that every truck we work with is infallible, but our history with the trucks, our knowledge of their strengths and weakness, and the vetting process ensures a much higher rate of success.

If you’re looking to have a fun and seamless experience, look to us to handle the hiring of food trucks at your next event. Contact us today at 813-802-9119 or fill out our booking form here, and a local expert will contact you shortly to discuss your event in more detail.