WBIR-Morristown) A Morristown business on the cusp of celebrating its one-year anniversary is now taking steps to repair damage from flames that destroyed the food truck about a week ago.

Crazy Good Burgers & Fries used to park its food truck along the town’s main stretch, Monday through Saturday.

“It’s been great. We’ve grown, we were about to open up a second truck, we were probably about a month away,” said Corbin Trent, the owner.

Those plans were put on hold when flames sparked on Friday, May 10th.

“It got hot in there enough obviously to melt aluminum. It destroyed the air conditioners, the hoods, the electricity,” said Trent.

Now, some local customers are disappointed their favorite burger joint is temporarily closed.

“Everybody is saying, ‘Well what are we going to do for lunch?,” said Sheri Hatcher.

Trent wants that answer to be Crazy Good Burgers & Fries as soon as possible. He’s already in repair mode, replacing the ceiling and working on the electrical system. But with $15,000 to $20,000 worth of damage, he said he’s asking the community for help.

Trent used Kickstarter to upload a homemade video and launch website for a fundraising campaign.

“We had one little kitchen fire that destroyed the whole place. But that shouldn’t stop us,” said Trent in the video.

Using Facebook, Twitter, and other social media, he’s hoping customers like Hatcher will pledge donations.

“A lot of people are pledging,” said Hatcher.

“It hurt because it’s like they’re family, the way they treat us,” said Hatcher’s husband, Ron Hatcher.

The Hatchers also said customers appreciate the food truck for using local supplies and ingredients.

“Everything is local as possible. Our beef is ground everyday by a local butcher, our tomatoes, our produce all come from the area, Grainger County, Knox County,” said Trent.

As of Sunday afternoon, the fundraiser had 33 ‘backers’ and nearly $1,900 pledged. The goal is $8,000 by May 29th.

“(We’re) Getting to a quarter of the way there, but we’ve got ten days left. I think we can make it,” said Trent.

“We’ll be the first in line,” said Sheri Hatcher. “Or try to be,” said Ron Hatcher.

For more information on the fundraiser ‘Crazy Good Burgers Rebuild,’ head to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/927932295/crazy-good-burgers-rebuild.

http://www.wbir.com/news/article/274858/2/Morristown-food-truck-launches-fundraiser-after-fire

Brothers David, Adam and Noah Belanich founded Joyride Coffee.
Courtesy of Joyride Coffee

Joyride, one of New York’s most promising startups, is quickly gaining popularity.

The company delivers high-end coffee from roasters like Stumptown, Intelligentsia and Blue Bottle to well-known clients in Silicon Alley, including Foursquare, Twitter, Buzzfeed, and Gilt.

Joyride Coffee was founded by three ambitious brothers, David, Adam and Noah Belanich, who decided to take a chance on working together. They say that co-founding a company with your siblings definitely has its challenges, but the upsides far outweigh the drawbacks.

“One of the things that some of the employees we brought in have noticed is that we have a tendency to be extremely blunt with each other,” says David, the eldest of the brothers. “We argue quite vocally with each other, but we always know that at the end of the day we have each other’s best interest at heart so there is a real implicit trust underlying everything we ever discuss and do.”

David, 30, decided to launch the company after realizing a career in academia wasn’t for him. He was pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Yale, which he enjoyed, but he “didn’t like the professional side of academia, like having to fight to get tenure,” he says. “That was the push factor. The pull factor was just that I always wanted to build my own business just to see if I could do it.”

His brother Adam, 26, followed a similar trajectory when he quit a teacher’s assistant position at Dartmouth to come help his brother launch the company. For Noah, 24, the transition was even more natural; he joined the family business straight out of college. All three hold equal ownership in the company.

But the coffee delivery concept didn’t surface immediately. Adam and David started out selling coffee and frozen yogurt in a food truck: “We basically took the same concept as Mr. Softee and tried to make it a little more modern,” says David. But they quite literally hit several bumps in the road: Over the course of one summer, the truck got hit by city buses four different times.

They started out delivering coffee and frozen yogurt from a food truck in Manhattan.
Courtesy of Joyride Coffee

Their first partnership was with Stumptown Coffee, so while selling coffee out of the food truck, Adam and David started bringing Stumptown coffee to offices on the side. They soon gave up the truck and opened an office in Queens in 2011. Their full-time delivery business is sort of like catering, with a twist.

Now they deliver coffee to some of Silicon Alley’s hottest tech startups.
Courtesy of Joyride Coffee

“Our clients become our customers for the long term,” David explains. “We set them up with equipment and we deliver on a biweekly basis, so we get to see them pretty frequently. Whereas with catering, it’s more of a ‘one-off relationship’ like when you deliver a product for a wedding or an event.”

They also offer coffee tastings complete with a professional barista to teach customers everything about the coffee, like how its origins and varietals translate to a difference in flavor. Recently Joyride introduced a new and even more unconventional concept to their business: cold brewed iced coffee in a keg.

Early next week the brothers plan on delivering a five-gallon keg of coffee to Gawker Media. ”They’ve agreed to be our guinea pigs,” David says, explaining that Gawker will be the first client to try out their new product. “It’s going to be exciting because we have our own tap and handle and it looks like a beer tap, except coffee comes out of it.”

Joyride created the device themselves because no one had ever made one before. They bring the same fun and inventive aspect they did to the keg concept, to everything they do with their business. Tasting sessions are fun and energetic, and so is their office culture.

When they first started the company, David brought his two Boxers into the office “and then Noah got a dog because we wanted to keep the person-dog ratio even,” he says. ”We function like a Google office, minus all the perks.” So far they’ve hired six employees, with two interns joining this summer.

David has several theories as to why the majority of their clients are in the tech world, including an elaborate one that traces how both third-wave coffee roasters and tech companies migrated together from the West Coast to the East. But one of the biggest reasons, he says, is probably that Joyride also embraces the same laid-back company culture as many of its Silicon Alley clients.

“Sometimes it is like a doggy day care center in here with a Boston terrier and the two Boxers running around,” says David. “I think it plays into our casual work environment. It probably related to the familial work environment we have here where we are totally comfortable with each other.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/joyride-coffee-small-business-profile-2013-5

SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane is looking into ways to make it easier for food vendors to go mobile.

City leaders said they are getting more interest from entrepreneurs who want to run a mobile food truck or food cart business in Spokane.

Leaders admit that the current process of getting permitted to run a mobile truck can feel confusing.

Spokesperson for the city, Marlene Feist said, “What we are trying to do is improve the rules so that people who want to do these kinds of businesses have an easier time doing business with the city.”

Last year Joile Forral and her business partner got a food truck on their own.

“The biggest issue was trying to find and figure out what regulations we needed to have, what’s required of us as far as the truck,” said Forral.

The city regulations vary depending how and where the vendor operates and officials believe the rules are too generic.

Officials say the city is looking to make consistent and easy to understand rules each business will have to deal with in order to encourage more mobile vendors.

The city hosted a meeting Tuesday night until 6:30 at the downtown Spokane City Library to discuss the issue.

http://www.krem.com/news/City-officials–204389021.html

The STIR Mobile Eatery sets up starting today at the Pioneer Business Park, 5000 Campuswood Drive in East Syracuse. (Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-Standard)

One of the new food trucks proliferating around the Syracuse area has nailed down a start-up location.

STIR Mobile Eatery plans to set up in the Pioneer Business Park, 5000 Campuswood Drive in East Syracuse, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Friday.

Like other food trucks, they may move around.

“We are looking to head downtown soon but this location may prove to be a good one for awhile,” said David M. Marnell, Jr., who is partners in the trucks with Rob Sansone and Sebastian Backer, who are the chefs.

Their offerings include a falafel sandwich, mushroom burger, fried chicken and a burger spiced with harissa, a hot red chili pepper paste from North Africa.

Meanwhile, the Fresh Crepe Co. should be back in action starting Monday at 300 S. State St., next to the Everson Museum of Art and across from the Onondaga County War Memorial.

Steve’s Street Eats is hoping to begin its season next week, stopping Wednesdays and Fridays at the corner of Geddes and West Fayette streets and Thursdays in the Widewaters Business Park.

The Lady Bug Lunch Box is already up and running on East Fayette Street near the Firemen’s Memorial Park and PB & J Lunch Box is on Jefferson Street in Armory Square, near the Museum of Science and Technology.

Tortilla Jacks is still seeking a location and should be rolling by May 1.

http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/04/syracuse_area_food_trucks_star.html

Legislators in the Town of Amherst will be considering regulations governing the operation of food trucks when they convene this week.

Proposals include annual permit fees of $500 per truck, restrictions on operating locations, and background checks on truck operators. Vendors claim that the permit costs and the limit of one hour stops at any location are onerous.

An online petition has surfaced that supports the food trucks and the interests of their owners.

http://news.wbfo.org/post/amherst-rule-food-trucks

Here’s something for those of you who read that last story about the crew from FLK starting up their own food truck and said, “Hey, that sounds like a GREAT idea! I need to go out and do that right now!”

Penn Law and the Philadelphia Mobile Food Association are holding an all-day seminar on Saturday, February 16 which will cover the basics of food truck start-up, including financing, intellectual property, regulations and licensing (which, it seems, is where most people get tripped up in this town) and risk management. There will also be breakfast, lunch and a general membership meeting from the PMFA which is open to both members and non-members.

The clinic will be held at the UPenn Law School. For more information, check out the PMFA’s facebook page.

PMFA How To Start A Food Truck event page [Facebook]

http://philadelphia.foobooz.com/2013/02/06/hey-speaking-of-food-trucks-how-to-start-a-food-truck-clinic-for-prospective-owners/

(credit: Mamu Thai Noodle facebook)

As we first read about in Gothamist, Siwat Thitiwatana wants to bring an authentic Thai noodle truck to NYC. He already has a wrapped truck, much of his equipment, and a NYC Mobile Vending Permit.

Siwat’s family owns and operates 3 noodle shops in Bangkok, and he will be using family recipes handed down over generations on the noodle truck. He is even working at a Thai restaurant on his days off to learn as much as he can about Thai noodles.

There are only a few more weeks for this project to reach its goal onKickstarter. Siwat has put everything he has into this truck, and only needs $11,000 more to make this a reality. As of today, he is more than 75% of the way to that goal. Maybe we can help put him over the top.

Give the guy a hand, and you will be rewarded with great food, enthusiastic high-fives, and online shout-outs. For those of you with serious cash to spare, he is even offering cooking classes and catered events.

Siwat even named the truck after his mother! What more could you want?

Below is a short video with more info, and mouth-watering shots of Thai street food.

Mamu’s twitter is here and facebook is here.

http://newyorkstreetfood.com/39167/authentic-thai-noodle-truck-is-this-close-to-reality-and-you-can-help/

IMAGE CREDIT: HLN
Brett Eanes, owner of MIX’d UP food truck — one of the most popular trucks in Atlanta.

Editor’s Note: Ever dream of being your own boss? One man made that dream come true — but at a price. See how he does it, and follow him on the crazy road to opening his own restaurant on HLN’s American Journey, hosted by Ty Pennington, on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

IMAGE CREDIT: HLN
Brett on the job. He can sometimes work more than 15 hours a day!

IMAGE CREDIT: HLN
Mmm… burgers! Brett’s burgers are what have made him famous in Atlanta.

IMAGE CREDIT: HLN
You can’t have a burger without fries.

IMAGE CREDIT: BRETT EANES
Chef “Mas” and “B-Crizzy” — part of the MIX’d Up team.

http://www.hlntv.com/slideshow/2013/02/05/will-work-food-making-food-truck

It seems as though everyone is caught up in the food truck craze these days; some people happily hurry over to grab some grub at the truck outside their office, others gather up groups of friends and make the trek to one of the many massive Food Truck Festivals, and a few brave souls make the courageous decision to join the proud fraternity of chefs who choose to make mobile kitchens the canvas on which they paint their culinary masterpieces.

For those who find themselves in the latter category, there are a few things you are going to have to know before you begin your journey. Like all small business, owning a food truck has its upsides and its challenges. Also like all small business, the upsides and challenges that go along with food truck ownership can often times be predictable and even mitigated with a little research.

Research

The best advice anyone thinking of starting a food truck can be given is to research all of the issues that food truck operators have and consider these while orchestrating a very careful and extremely detailed business plan. This business plan should include start up costs, revenue projections, projected expenses, marketing strategies, human resource and staffing philosophies and a list of hurdles that the business will have to overcome in order to achieve the desired success. Remember to research the town or city and state that you are considering operating in as part of this plan; you’ll need to know all of the regulations, permitting processes, expenses and as much as you can about future plans.

Finding a truck

Once a thorough business plan has been written, rewritten and evaluated you are ready to start looking for a truck. Taking into consideration the regulations that exist in the area where you hope to vend, make a list of the things you will need in your truck. Keep in mind your truck’s needs are going to be directly affected by the regulations you will face where you vend as well the equipment demands of your concept. Research available food trucks and/or food truck outfitters in your area and take your time picking one- this is going to be first major decision you make as a business owner!

Branding

After purchasing a truck the next logical step is to brand it with your business logo and color scheme. Consult a graphic designer and sign professionals to find out what options best fit your budget before making any movement. Remember, measure twice, cut once!

Back to the truck

In the meantime, comb through the truck top to bottom. A good working philosophy is to assume that everything that ‘works’ can stop working at some point, so it is important to identify everything that may need to be repaired down the road. Be preemptive. Research and locate repair professionals for every piece of equipment on your truck, including the truck itself. Keep these contacts. They will be very important to the success of your business.

Do you want it?

Lastly, the question you need to ask yourself is how badly you really want to be a part the food truck industry. Owning your own business is everything people tell you it is; there are days where being your own boss is the best thing that ever happened to you, and there will be days where you wish you had never started down that road.

Think hard, because if you truly believe in your concept, and you believe deeply enough in your own abilities, then you will choose to push through on the days where it seems like nothing can go right. In the end, if it feels right, then it’s full steam ahead.

Good luck, and we’ll see you on the streets!

http://bostinno.com/2013/01/19/how-to-start-a-food-truck/#ss__284906_189647_0__ss

India Mahal’s truck will be operating soon

An invigorated Sunny Singh springs up the steps of his new food truck Wednesday afternoon. In the coming days, he’ll have all the necessary permits in hand to take his longtime Wilmington restaurant India Mahal mobile.

Joining a growing legion of successful brick-and-morter restauranteurs who have embraced the food truck craze as a way to grow their business, Singh sees the new wheels as a chance to better serve the curry-loving community. He says the truck will be deployed to events, private catering in addition to parking on the curb for walkup service.

Able to prepare two or three entree dishes at a time, Singh says fans of his existing eatery will find the offerings familiar.

He’s not limiting the truck’s range to Wilmington either. “We can use it for anything,” he says. “We’re planning to go to Southport one day a week, Castle Hayne, small towns that can’t support an Indian restaurant.”

To follow the truck’s path through the region, Singh says the restaurant’s Facebook page is the best bet, or to book him for a catering event call (910) 799-2089.

Sunny Singh shows us around his new truck

http://foodies.blogs.starnewsonline.com/30756/india-mahal-rolls-out-food-truck/?tc=ar