The WNY Food Truck Association has asked that we share the following video with BRO viewers. We have added a few comments from previous posts, submitted from people living outside Western New York:
“I live in Washington, DC, and food trucks are now common. It isn’t the wild west, and in fact our restaurant scene is thriving. The bricks and mortars had the same issues initially, but everyone seems to think it works out fine now.” – Rand503
“Austin is an overrated city in my opinion, but it has a phenomenal restaurant scene for a city its size. Its food truck scene is also *the* best in the country. There’s even vacant lots filled with food trailers — usually Airstreams — year ’round. Buffalo has four food trailers (Lloyd, Roaming Buffalo, Whole Hog, R&R). Austin has HUNDREDS, and that’s not including roach coaches that serve construction sites and the like. Some truck and trailer owners eventually open brick-and-mortar restaurants. Austin’s brick-and-mortar restaurant scene, as I said before, is thriving compared to the retro red sauce that flows everywhere in Buffalo. If Buffalo’s restaurants feel so threatened by food trailers, maybe it’s not the trailers that are the problem.” -Dan
“I moved from Buffalo to Portland not quite a year ago and was amazed at the food cart scene out here. It just adds so much positive energy & character to the city, not to mention the increased food options. Empty lots are filled with a variety of food carts, which (seemingly) coexist peacefully with each other and with B & M’s. Upon realizing the benefits of the Food Cart Nation, my immediate thought was how well they would do in Buffalo, to which Portland is similar in that both towns take immense pride in their local food, from drunk food to gourmet. I started wishing that I was a culinary professional so I could move back home and capitalize on the untapped market. Then not too long after I read about the Taco Truck and became excited that my home city was on the verge of adapting a great trend that would attract people downtown and increase the quality of life. Of course I did automatically assume that the government would step in to screw it up, and I’m not sure which is sadder; that I automatically thought that, or that I was correct.” – freeyourmind917