10 Corporate Food Trucks Totally Bogarting the Mobile Kitchen Scene, Man

By Laura Hahnefeld Mon., Aug. 20 2012 at 8:00 AM

Jack in the Box

Jack in the Box

Hey, we like the egg rolls as much as the next guy, but with over 2,200 locations, is another Jack in the Box (even in food truck form) really necessary? Following the same tongue-in-cheek humor as its advertising, Jack's Munchie Mobile is done up like van art from the 70s, with one scene depicting Jack in muscle-man armor riding a tiger. Sure it's cheeky, but will anyone even bite on this?

Applebee's

With recent re-branding efforts including storefront makeovers and the new slogan, "See You Tomorrow," (huh?) this casual dining chain of mediocre mainstream American food (including something called "riblets") is trying so hard to be hip with today's youth that it got itself a food truck and a parody courtesy of The Onion: "It's just like my neighborhood restaurant only completely geographically non-specific!"

Subway

From the company that gave us "sandwich artists," meats that all taste the same, and so much Jared Fogle that we cried, "Five-dollar foot-long!" just so he'd leave us alone, comes a mobile kitchen from Subway. In keeping with its "healthy" concept, it would seem like walking to a Subway brick-and-mortar location versus its food truck driving right up to our doorsteps might make more sense -- but so does running away from one, too.

Tasti D-Lite

This New York-based company with locations in 13 states has replaced good ol' ice cream truck treats with something defined as, "a frozen dessert comparable to, but marketed as a healthier alternative to soft serve ice cream." Uh-oh, that sounds like something close to fro-yo, which means un-fun, which means no running across the neighborhood with a handful of change to buy a Rocket Pop from an old school ice cream truck playing chime-y music. WAH!

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winterchill57

Food served from corp restaurants is nothing but garbage. Anyone who thinks they are eating quality food from Taco Bell or Chik Fil a is fooling themselves. I will not eat at any of the corporate trucks.

Alicia Geier

& Gap's is the lamest. Cut your prices on waay overpriced crappy jeans instead of a coupon around a taco. God who gets paid to come up with this crap???

Alicia Geier

Dear corporate foods trucks...if you're trying to be cool & current, it means you can never be!

marcy

Sounds like quite a step up from the slop served by most food trucks.

dlturkette

@marcy You must live under a rock, or just go to any trailer on the side of the ditch. I for one serve better than the normal restaurant food. Your probably just upset because your a broke, on assistance, on Obama's freeloader list and can't get your fat a@@ out to get some real food!

pkbedel

1 Like

Presume nothing in this market. I was in the restaurant industry for 30 years here. The sheep will keep the corporate trucks busy and the adventurous will try the local flavors. There are many sheep here. Peace and good luck to you brave local truck owners!

rfurcini

1 Like

I presume that any regular food truck customer would scoff at these corporate advances in the mobile food revolution, while the common joe may very well decide that when a meal in a truck can also be found in any number locations throughout America, they may opt for the more adventurous choice of the lesser known product. What may be the issue here is corporate trucks out-bidding independent trucks for a spot at venues, making it impossible to compete against big money. In such a case independent trucks will close and we'll be left with the same old slop.

Arizona Luke

Competition makes for better products. Don't like it? Make better food for a decent price and open your own truck and then market the hell out of it.

Joe Barnes

If people would rather buy from a corporate food truck because the food is better or cheaper than a local food truck, then the onus is on the local one to change and compete or shut down. Its called a competitive free market and its dictated by consumers. If you don't like corporate food then don't buy it, but know that their presence doesn't "ruin the scene" by producing a better product, it improves it.