How do food trucks serve-up community?

Abstract

In the past few years a new class of food truck began popping up across Canada’s West Coast. These new food trucks offer menus predominantly influenced by hyper-local, seasonal, ethnic, fusion, artisanal creations. Food trucks are now considered a healthy fast food choice. The growing popularity of food trucks and the multi-layered community connections, both curb-side and online, suggest there is active, diverse, social engagement taking place in the flourishing food truck culture. Patrons are flocking to food trucks with sentiments, sensations, and ethical motivations, from wanting to support local businesses and local food providers, to enjoying diverse, haute cuisine style food in open, public, social environments. My research examined the growing community around this new food truck phenomenon and corroborated much of the positive, grassroots, conversation taking place regarding the food truck industry, culture, and its food.