WEBVTT
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We delivered the 80 carts, 77 of those carts are still sitting in a ISD warehouse.
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Creating a second class uh of of dining and access, right?
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Yeah, and it should be embarrassing.
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Are we just gonna wait till somebody gets really sick and there's just a bad outbreak break and somebody makes it dies?
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This is the Beyond Data Management Podcast powered by HSGovTech.
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Now here's your host, Cameron Garrison.
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Welcome back.
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We're still at Lake Lamere, 30 minutes uh north of Atlanta here at Jihad, Georgia Environmental Health Association, their 2026 conference, and having a lot of great conversations.
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If you're watching this on the channel, uh in the future, you're gonna be like, wow, they did a lot of episodes there.
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We we have uh a person that really needs no introduction, a friendly face that has been here before.
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Actually, episode four.
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It's time is flying, it's been that long.
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But Matt Geller, um, you have a lot of titles.
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We dealt with this last time.
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Um the best food trucks, right, is the is your food truck company, but you also are running associations and and you're probably the chief advocate in the country for for proper mobile operating, aren't you?
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Yeah, I mean, I think uh not to take away from regional associations, but there's a lot of areas that don't have regional associations yet.
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So they come to us at the National Food Truck Association for help.
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And uh we're all volunteer.
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We charge nothing to be a part of the National Food Truck Association.
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Um, you know, we've got Kansas City right now is making regulations that block food trucks 300 feet from a restaurant for no other reason than to block competition.
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Uh so we're trying to help them with public records requests and figuring out what's going on with that.
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So we do a lot in that space, especially when there are regions that just don't have any sort of representation.
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You have a way of finding your way into the hottest of issues, don't you?
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Yeah, because it is political, right?
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In so many of these jurisdictions.
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Yeah, yeah, definitely.
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In fact, you you're doing LA basically as a 24-hour day trip from here.
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Um, and what was interesting is when Danielle called us and said, Hey, can you bring the podcast now?
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And she's like, Matt's gonna be there.
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She goes, I watched the episode and I was like, I know him.
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We hope to see you there.
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So how how does she know?
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You actually have done some work um through your association, right, with with Georgia on their mobile.
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Yeah.
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So the the George the Food Truck Association of Georgia, um, they just wanted to change some laws and make things more uniform.
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And they came to us and we had worked, you know, on the Arizona Food Truck Freedom Bill, some things in Ohio, and we're constantly trying to get things either not passed if they're pushing something we don't like or passed if they are.
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Um and so I was just, you know, kind of gave my thoughts on everything for the new uh Georgia legislation.
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Um and above and beyond that, we, you know, we work with Home Depot, who I think is one of the, you know, nationally one of those companies that's really empowering mobile vendors right now because they have mobile vendors outside of their stores.
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And so we Best Food Trucks has a contract with them to bring mobile vendors to more and more stores.
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Um and in Georgia, where they're located, I you know, I come out to Atlanta and meet with them.
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And um, we've got I think eight stores and just in the Atlanta region.
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Um, and they, you know, Home Depot is just really empowering them.
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And you know, I've you know, I have a talk today at 245, and I'm gonna have a video about one of the first people we put at a Home Depot who went from selling tamales behind a tree out of a cooler to uh doing, you know, sit now a six-figure uh income permanent out of a permitted truck.
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Out of a permitted uh food cart.
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What are your carts that you built?
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Yeah, yeah, of course.
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So I also have a company called Revolution Carts where we build um so now we have uh an ice cream cart, a hot hold cart for tamales, a small grill cart that has uh that's only 58 inches long by 30 inches wide.
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Um, and then our big grill cart.
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So we're you know we you're you're really growing that.
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Do you ever sleep?
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I mean, I I try.
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I I would say right now, uh our biggest problem in in or the thing that's taking up the majority of my time right now is Revolution Carts has delivered 125 permitted carts to the county of Los Angeles for distribution to vendors that most need it.
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I think when you were on last year, you were in early stages of that.
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Yeah, building them.
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Yeah.
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So we delivered last year uh 80 carts, uh, all of them on time.
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We beat, actually, we beat the schedule.
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Um, and so the county of LA starting in August had 80 carts to distribute.
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77 of those carts are still sitting in a ISD warehouse.
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Right now, still right now.
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Uh we've August, yeah, we've given away three, which was last month.
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Um, and so it's just frustrating.
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And that becomes my advocacy mission to like like my partners at Revolution Carts will say, well, they paid us for the carts.
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And I'll say, as an advocate, who cares?
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We have 15,000 unpermitted vendors in the county of LA, and they need help.
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And the County of LA residents who want to eat food should be eating safe food.
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And we all have now we have the means to give them.
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So we delivered the 80 carts.
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Uh, we just delivered another 45 grill carts.
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And so now they're sitting in our facility and we're they're gonna have like 118 on tap.
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They got 119 right now waiting, and then I've got another 15 grill carts and another 25 uh ice cream carts coming.
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And the biggest issue is how to get vendors to fill out forms.
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The paperwork.
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The paperwork.
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Is there is is there like a is there like a legitimate, like big weighty issue to figure out about the forms, or is it just the typical committee drags on forever stuff?
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No, it's not it's they they have an NGO that they contracted with.
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Uh, I don't necessarily believe that they understand how to get these forms filled out.
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And when we've given away 57 free cards sponsored by Taco Bell, sponsored by uh Rockstar Energy, sponsored by Snapchat.
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And what we do is we just chase the vendor down until they fill out the paperwork.
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And that means going to where they're vending on a corner if necessary.
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And inclusive action for the city who has the contract, who's been paid 1.2 million, who was originally supposed to be given they've been paid 1.2 million to administer giving away the carts that haven't been given away.
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Well, originally they were supposed to give away, they were supposed to build the 200 carts.
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They couldn't do that.
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So they changed the contract.
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Now they don't have to do that.
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Then they were supposed to build auxiliary sinks to uh use with the carts with just hand washing sinks.
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And then they were supposed to create vending zones.
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So they wiped all of that.
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Now all they have to do is get vendors to fill out paperwork.
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And have they done it?
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Yes, for eight vendors out of the over 100.
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So my I'm pushing and kicking and screaming and fighting and emailing.
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And on Tuesday I will speak in front of the supervisors.
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They'll give me one minute to speak and say, What are you doing?
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These people need your help.
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So um because you were telling me before we recorded, like they're also doing some things through administrative policy that also don't really lend itself to leaning into the carts they have available in terms of uh enforcement, right?
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Right.
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So 15,000 to 30,000 unpermitted food vendors working every day in the county of Los Angeles.
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And that's 85 cities out of the 88 cities.
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Uh, as you know, there's three cities that have their own health departments.
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Um, and about five to six months ago, they put a pause on that and they said, because of the ice rates, we're not gonna enforce unpermitted vending regulations.
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I asked them yesterday, yesterday, I said, when are you gonna start enforcing these regulations?
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Because if you're giving away carts and those vendors have permitted carts and they have to compete with people that aren't permitted, you're gonna destroy your own program.
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Yeah.
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And they said, we're no longer gonna go.
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I mean, I I have in my presentation, I actually have the email printed.
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We're not gonna go after individual vendors, we're just gonna go after the um organizations that are giving them carts, giving them food, which I think is gonna account for maybe 10% of them.
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So the whole policy has totally just gone south.
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That doesn't make sense because you're not going to go enforce Costco, right?
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Because I would imagine if you're unpermitted, you're probably not running a credit account with a big provider, are you?
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Right.
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So the I I their their um their basic thought on this is that there are, and this is true, there are some organizations that have a bunch of fruit carts, and you go pick up a fruit cart and you sell and they pay you 50 bucks for the day.
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They're gonna go after that.
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Okay, so they're almost like a little syndicate of illegal vendors.
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Yeah, then there's a little syndicate of guys that are little hot dog stands, you know, the with the the cookie sheet.
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Yeah, yeah, right.
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And and and those guys do exist.
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Are they the majority of the 15,000 unpermitted and that's conservative, 15,000 unpermitted vendors operating every day?
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No, maybe 10, maybe 20.
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Even if it's 30%, you're still dealing with thousands and thousands of vendors.
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And because of no enforcement, now they're incentivizing the the process.
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Yeah, aren't you?
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I mean, if it's if you can do whatever you want, aren't you gonna get more of it?
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Yep.
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And and the sad thing is there have been vendors that have won a free cart.
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I mean, the carts are anywhere from seven, I mean, the ice cream carts are three grand, the potd seven, the grill twelve.
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You win a free cart, and then you won't fill out your paperwork because you're like, I don't want to be permitted, I I can just keep doing what I'm doing.
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Which is, you know, like and having a grill.
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So, I mean, LA County is your picture perfect example of what not to do in this space, which is just let it run among for so long that it becomes such a big monster you can't even contain it.
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And then it feels like if you go that down that road, then you'll be sleeping on it until something bad happens, right?
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And then of course it'll be a big thing and they'll have to bring it in.
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Yeah, which is my email to uh someone who I respect a lot and I, you know, I think she's great.
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She's the you know uh director of environmental health.
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Uh I said, are we just gonna wait till somebody gets really sick and there's just a a bad outbreak break and somebody maybe dies?
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Is that what we're gonna wait for?
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And I I, you know, with foodborne illness and public health, it's not an if, right?
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It's always a when.
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Yeah, especially with those numbers.
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15,000 unpermitted, like the law of large numbers says things are gonna happen.
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And the frustrating thing is, you know, you have a lot of advocates who are like, oh, let's let them do it.
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But like it's not fair that the affluent parts of LA, you know, where I can go to Venice, right?
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And I can have a great burger off of a food truck, and that food truck has an A on it.
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And if that anything happens, I can call the public health.
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Whereas, and that's an affluent community, and the places that are not affluent, they have they're stuck with getting what they get.
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And a lot of these areas in the eastern part of the city, like they don't have a lot of food options.
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So they're going to these unpermitted.
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So that that they don't have restaurant row and budgets and so you're just you're condemning them to to fend for themselves.
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You're creating a second class uh of of dining and access, right?
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Yeah, and it should be embarrassing.
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I mean, it should we should be able to do that.
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Well, yeah, because you're not inclusive at all.
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No.
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Is it that I they they are a lot of really dedicated people in LA County.
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Uh I I know a lot of them, like you know all of them.
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Yeah.
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Um is part of it that nobody wants the hot potato because it the police definitely still don't want to touch it, do they?
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Right.
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I mean, some of the smaller cities, like LA's LA, right?
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LA City is a city of four million people.
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Some of the smaller cities are cracking down, not with the health department, but just police are going out and saying you can't vent here.
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Um, just in where I live, which is a fairly, you know, I'm right outside of LA.
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I live in a city called Culver City.
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There's like six or seven vendors that take up the entire sidewalk.
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When I walk to CVS to go get uh a prescription, I have to walk into the street around them.
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Seriously.
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Yeah.
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There's a lot of statutes on the books that make that not something you're supposed to do.
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Whether you're selling doesn't matter whether it's food or not.
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Like if you or I, what would uh maybe in LA, maybe we could just camp out on the sidewalk and they wouldn't care.
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And it's why I mean, you know, I've been in arguments with the county health department about whether two food trucks or three food trucks require a community event permit if vending on a private piece of property.
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And that fight lasted two weeks and I had to get the supervisors involved, and finally we agreed to three and not two.
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Like, imagine that fight and then this fight where I'm like, you're not gonna inspect anybody?
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Nobody, like you're just you've just given up that.
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And it just feels so different than when I first started the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association in 2010, where I had food trucks that had to be within 200 feet of a restaurant restroom, and I had one 201 feet once and got shut down and had to come in for a hearing.
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That's that that was strict.
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That and it was too strict, and we worked it out and now it's better.
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But like, but did they go too far the other way?
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And that's what that's this pendulum that just swings back and forth.
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And we all just need a little bit of central hang in the middle for a little while.
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So that's what we're dealing with in LA, and it's um you know, it's nothing but frustrating.
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And yeah, uh, you know, in this whole process of giving away carts, uh, there was a lot of blame put at the head of the or at the foot of the uh department of public health.
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And I just kept saying, when I work with them, they get back to me, they approve our carts quickly, when we need them to come out and inspect the carts, like everything that DPH was doing to get these carts into the hands of people and they were getting blamed for a lot was perfect.
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This new policy, I don't believe, is really coming from the county health department.
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I think it's coming from uh the elected board offices, and they think they're doing some sort of some sort of good, but they're really they're gonna find that it's gonna be helpful.
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It's it's that's an it's it's anarchy, at least with food trucks, right?
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Like it's you can't do it.
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Food carty.
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I mean, really it's just not the full trucks, but the cart.
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They're just setting up a pop-up tent, having a big thing, a trumpo, you know, like the big, yeah.
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And they're just and there's no sink, right?
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There's no hot water.
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It might be an igloo cooler if you're lucky, right?
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And you know, we've had some significant outbreaks in the country lately.
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And so now everybody's got to hope and pray that it ends up okay.
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And um, and you know, I still believe that if there was some reasonable enforcement and you have this new car program and people were educated on which food trucks to eat from, and the food vendors were educated on how they can become permitted, you would see a a shift towards the formal economy.
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You would all the all the incentives would be towards joining the formal economy, wouldn't they?
00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:27.360
And you know, one of the things that we're trying to do, and I'm actually going to talk about my speech today, is um, you know, the more things like a Home Depot.
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Uh we we have a deal with Met LA Metro.
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We're gonna put vendors at metro stations.
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Oh, that's cool.
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Yeah, and we're uh, you know, and we're talking to more, and I'm I'm talking to the county about putting vendors at county buildings with hundreds of employees so that they can make you know, and so then you dangle this carrot, you have some enforcement, you dangle a carrot saying if you have a cart, you get to go to these really um uh these places that are gonna make you a lot of money.
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Yep.
00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:59.120
And then we can and then people start to see A's on the carts that and then we can change some and then and then literally momentum takes over, doesn't it?
00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:05.840
And so we need that momentum, but if they're not gonna enforce anything, then I can't I like I I'm running backwards, right?
00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:10.879
So you're gonna have a viral moment when you go to the you say it's LA County Commission meeting you're going to be.
00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:12.159
Yeah, uh Board of Supervisors.
00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:16.159
Board of Supervisors meets every Tuesday, and I usually will have to sit there.
00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.840
I mean, I've sat there seven hours to get up and speak for one minute before.
00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:21.039
And they enforce it.
00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:24.320
And then they'll you probably see some crazy stuff while you're waiting too, don't you?
00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:40.240
Oh no, I don't even know that this there's a guy in there that he's always screaming all sorts of obscenities, but um, but you know, they will typically come out and you know, they'll send all like they're up there and then they'll send their people to come talk to me and I'll give everybody the business for you know the next 20 minutes.
00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:46.080
And then, you know, if I don't I mean, I I tell them all the time, if I don't keep pushing, you guys will just forget I exist.
00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.879
And I understand LA County has 10 million people.
00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:51.360
That's more people than 40 states.
00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:52.559
You have to make noise.
00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:58.399
There's there's a bud, a massive budget for the county, and they're dealing with wildfire, like a fire fires right now.
00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:00.159
They're dealing, they're just they deal with so much.
00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:01.840
How is that going with the fire recovery?
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:13.200
Because you know, when you don't live there, you see you see stuff online that the recovery, the rebuilding from the fire pastor almost two years ago now, yeah, um, is really slow.
00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.279
And you care about a lot of things.
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:16.880
And one of them was right after the fire.
00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:22.559
It was um, I think it was right around the time that you did the podcast the first time, you did a fundraiser.
00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:26.880
Um I I believe I donated to the leak.
00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:31.279
I if I flaked, uh I think I did I how did that go well?
00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:33.279
Were you funds together?
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:37.839
For about a month we were feeding first responders every uh five nights a week.
00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:40.640
Um your own pocket.
00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:53.680
Well, so I mean we best food trucks put a lot of money into it, but nothing compared to a star a star that all of you know, and I'm not allowed to say his name because he didn't want any credit for it.
00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:55.599
He's a musician and he's amazing.
00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:57.920
And he just said, send me the bill every night.
00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:09.200
His people did, I didn't talk to him personally, and he would not take and I was like, I gotta tell someone he's like, Nope, you know, I'll tell you, but didn't want the publicity, didn't want the publicity, but Fed P Fed first responders every night for a month.
00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:09.920
It was crazy.
00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:15.039
And I you know some of them, you know, fourteen hundred dollars, fifteen hundred dollars, you know, just I'm just sending them a bill every day.
00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:16.079
They just paid it every day.
00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:16.880
Boom, boom.
00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:17.920
Oh, that's amazing.
00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.640
There's still a lot of good people out there.
00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:21.440
Yeah, definitely.
00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:22.240
It's amazing.
00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:27.599
So what so a Kansas City thing uh caught my attention when you said that earlier.
00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:33.519
It does sound like they're just colluding with uh brick and mortar restaurant change for anti-competitive.
00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:33.920
Yeah.
00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:35.599
What what have you discovered so far?
00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:38.559
I know public records requests are a slow, tedious process.
00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:40.000
They they didn't give us anything.
00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:44.640
I'm I'm just drafting my response saying this is you know, so so those non-responsive, yeah.
00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:53.599
Um now the one thing I'll tell you about LA County, the city of Los Angeles, when I put in a public records request, they are they take it very seriously and they give me everything.
00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:54.480
That's great.
00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:56.960
So, but in Kansas City, not so much.
00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:04.880
And um, and they're calling attorney client privilege, and I'm like, I just want to see the emails between the restaurant association and the um and the elected officials.
00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:10.079
And I, you know, I'm not so crazy as to say food truck should be able to do whatever they want, right?
00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:17.039
But I am very uh serious about government staying out of comp competition, right?
00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:25.839
And it and you know, I look at Washington, DC as the very best example, and that was I I worked in Washington, DC in 2004.
00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:46.720
The food wasn't that great, food trucks came around in 2010 and they absolutely demolished the restaurant industry, mostly because the restaurant industry was really terrible and they were serving like college style buffet lines, and then they didn't have to do anything else, and then the restaurant came industry came screaming back, and there are very few few food trucks in the district now.
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:47.200
Really?
00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:49.359
So because so many good restaurants opened.
00:19:49.519 --> 00:20:11.440
Because they just got smoked by good restaurants, and you know, we're consumers, and when you think about an elected official, you might have a few food truck uh constituents, you might have a few restaurant constituents, but what you have is a lot of food-eating constituents who you're supposed to be representing, and competition creates great product, and uh and it did in DC, and DC is now a very, very serious food city.
00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:12.559
I think food trucks have a lot to say.
00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:17.839
I didn't know that backstory because DC is now like known, you can get some good food in DC.
00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:25.039
That's great, and um so our competition, it is, it is uh honestly what built the country, right?
00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:28.960
You know, it's um and government putting their thumb on the scale.
00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:37.920
Even if they a lot of times you find these are good people, like we're at the conference you have good people a lot of cases it's not even being done intentionally.
00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:40.160
It they sometimes they have good motives for what they're doing.
00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:44.960
Sometimes no, but in a lot of cases, but unintended consequences, man, they come.
00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:45.519
Yep.
00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:47.039
And they get you hard.
00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:49.279
How is the food truck business going in general?
00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:51.839
Because you give so much to yourself for no charge.
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:54.559
Um because you did the Taco Bell Initiative.
00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:58.079
How is the all of how's the that business and company going?
00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:00.319
I I mean, best food trucks continues to grow.
00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:06.160
I mean, you know, we have contracts with uh Boeing, so we do Boeing campuses nationally, um, Home Depot.
00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:10.720
Um, we you know generate a lot of income for food trucks through our catering system.
00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:13.680
Um like the portal, it handles everything for them, doesn't it?
00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:27.599
And um, you know, I think what you're seeing is more and more, you know, more and more people are back to work, and a lot of these uh big office complexes are they don't want um they don't want cafeterias anymore, right?
00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:34.319
Because the same thing, and so they're like more and more people are really into food truck schedules and food truck um rotations.
00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:36.640
Like nobody wants me to send the same food truck every day.
00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:40.640
They want, you know, when I send a food truck, I say you won't see them again for three weeks, right?
00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:46.160
So um and so yeah, our business is booming and and food trucks are doing great.
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:58.240
And because it is such a competitive market, you're just seeing better and better food trucks, better and better quality, you know, more efficiencies in just trying to uh you know serve the public.
00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:03.680
I mean, we did um Uh WWDC this year, the Worldwide Developer Conference on the Apple campus.
00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:04.319
Really?
00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:05.359
Thousands of vendors.
00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:06.880
Did you go to the Apple campus?
00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.039
Yeah, we were I I've always wanted to get it.
00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:09.839
It looks cool.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:10.799
It's really cool.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:19.200
Um, and we had uh I believe 14 trucks and we had to serve 1,500 people in about two and a half hours.
00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:21.599
The longest wait was four hours or four minutes.
00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:22.400
Four minutes?
00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:22.960
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:23.680
And wow.
00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:31.119
So one of the craziest things that I you know, I I I laugh at this because these are all developers, they're all very they they do very well.
00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:37.519
Yeah, yes, and we we gotta feed them fast, and we have everything empanadas, Chinese, like everything.
00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:41.599
Which truck had to go into their reserves?
00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:43.279
Because everybody had a certain amount.
00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:45.920
What cuisine did the best?
00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:47.519
Hot dogs.
00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:48.559
Seriously?
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:49.119
What?
00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:50.240
American hot dogs.
00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:50.960
American hot dog.
00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.839
People were running around with two hot dogs in Cupertino, California.
00:22:54.480 --> 00:23:01.440
Yeah, yeah, you yeah, the W-2s of most of the people ordering those hot dogs would would put put us in shame, probably.
00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:06.240
So the the um, you know, the the but the longest line we had was the hot dog line.
00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:08.000
It got backed up a little bit about four minutes.
00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:10.000
So, you know, I say that too.
00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:14.720
I remember when food trucks really got started and they started getting catering gigs and they could not ha handle volume.
00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:18.960
It was taking them three, four, five minutes to get through meals, 10 minutes.
00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:23.680
And these guys, the way we did their menus, they were just food was just I'm flying out.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:29.759
So you're orchestrating every element of it, what what the truck serves, probably their processes.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:30.880
Yeah, everything.
00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:37.359
Um, I mean, even where they are, like um, you know, when these guys walk out, what's going to be the most popular?
00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:39.519
We try to put them out here so they walk the whole thing.
00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:40.400
They can go buy them.
00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:45.440
Yeah, where the dessert is, like we're really serious about all of that, especially in something like that.
00:23:45.599 --> 00:24:01.039
But I was just so proud that these guys just, you know, they got the food out, they had their systems down, and so as you're seeing the food truck industry grow and expand, you're just seeing operators that are just absolute professionals, just amazing skill set.
00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:03.839
And because they have to earn their customers' business, don't they?
00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:04.240
Yeah.
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:06.480
Are they using your computer systems too?
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:06.880
Aren't they?
00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:10.559
So on something like that, there's all the food was paid for by Apple.
00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:14.720
Oh, so it's just you're so they're just they're just walking out grabbing food and walking to sit down.
00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:16.640
One one payer of the check at the end.
00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:18.240
Yeah, that's that's nice, isn't it?
00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:18.960
Yeah, for sure.
00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:34.319
Especially, you know, we do a lot of big hospital like uh healthcare appreciation events, and when we do that, you like we once tried to have the doctors and nurses ordering beforehand, they don't even walk out with they're in scrubs, they don't even have their phone with them, they don't even know what I wouldn't have thought of that.
00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:42.160
Yeah, so so like we're you know, we there is a style and system for every type of customer.
00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:52.160
And when you're dealing with like something like WWDC or uh a big hospital um uh event, you just gotta let people walk up and grab one thing or the other thing.
00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:55.920
Each truck had three things, so just boom, boom, boom, or we'll wonder grab and go.
00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.720
Yep, grab and go.
00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:57.599
Four minutes.
00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:59.680
Uh you can't even find any drive-throughs in the country.
00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:00.880
I mean, that was more that'll do that.
00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:04.640
That was only about 10, 15 minutes where it got up to most of the time.
00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:05.279
No wait.
00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:06.960
Just walk right up, grab one of the three.
00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:07.359
Wow.
00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:08.720
And how many people was that event did you say?
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:12.960
How much of the Apple campus did you get to see?
00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:15.680
Not not I didn't get to go into the the infinite loop.
00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:18.960
I was right across the street at the developers uh conference.
00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:23.279
It was uh but they're you know consummate professionals.
00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:24.079
We talk to them.
00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:26.480
Uh they have their own health department on staff.
00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:28.480
Apple has a health department.
00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:35.519
Yeah, it's all it's staffed by um basically uh environmental health specialists that were at health departments before.
00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:38.240
They went in and they temped everything.
00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:40.880
We we had the food trucks show up an hour and a half early.
00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:46.160
They temped everything, they checked every truck, they wrote out inspection reports everything.
00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:47.759
Using the food code.
00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:48.240
Yep.
00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:49.920
Yep, California retail food code.
00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:50.720
That's a story.
00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:54.559
Yeah, they've Apple would probably never talk to anybody about that, but that's remarkable.
00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:54.799
Yeah.
00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:57.119
They probably pay really good compared to it.
00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:00.880
I don't know, but they they were they were just absolute professionals.
00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:03.039
Like just that is they were just the the best.
00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:06.160
I mean, I would it doesn't surprise me though, they pay attention to detail there.
00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:06.799
Oh man.
00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:12.480
And they have their own, they have their own, they they don't go to Aramark or Sedexo or Compass, they have the Mac Cafe.
00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:13.359
They're in-house.
00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:13.920
In-house.
00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:16.079
All they do all their how do you land an account like that?
00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:19.200
Because that's a that's rare air, like ChatGPT.
00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:30.240
The company that so they had a an event company that they hired, and that company was trying to find somebody like us, and they went to Chat GPT, and ChatGPT said go to Best Food Trucks.
00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:31.440
Amazing.
00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:32.559
How hilarious.
00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:35.200
So Apple Apple from Chat GPT.
00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:35.680
Yeah, yeah.
00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:37.519
So I mean Apple doesn't do with them.
00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:38.799
So there's like a vet like that.
00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:40.720
So you know that so that company came.
00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:45.119
But still, like that company has got to be very careful with the vendors they select because Apple does care so much.
00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:46.799
Yeah, oh no, I mean big honor.
00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:51.920
When we do when we do present, when we do proposals, I mean we we have things down to the minute.
00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:56.720
Like we're in we're just I mean, we work with Boeing and I mean we work with some really big guys.
00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:58.400
You cannot mess up, no messing up, right?
00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:05.359
So and Boeing has been knocked around more, but I know that I've I've always had good luck on their planes.
00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:06.960
I've landed every time.
00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:08.160
Yeah.
00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:13.039
All right, so you're doing are you doing that uh the facility that's the largest building on the planet?
00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:14.160
Uh that they went up in the building.
00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:14.640
In Everett.
00:27:14.799 --> 00:27:15.200
Everett, yes.
00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:15.680
I've been there.
00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:16.319
I've been in it, yeah.
00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:17.359
In the building, yeah.
00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:18.319
That's what's it like?
00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:19.680
Is it overwhelming or oh yeah.
00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:28.079
I mean, you just walk in and there's like seven triple sevens across that wall, you know, and that wall is you know, a mile or three-fourths of a mile that way, a mile that way.
00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:34.400
They get around in there, they walk or do they use like I mean they're they're typically at particular locations.
00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:39.519
And so we get them, you know, anybody in there, they're they're never making it to the cafeteria.
00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:40.960
It's just too far, right?
00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:41.680
It's too much.
00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:43.440
Yeah, it's a mile just to get to those two.
00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:46.079
So we we put position food trucks outside.
00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:50.960
They online order through best food trucks, and then they get a text when their food is ready.
00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:54.960
So they just they order and they can order the day before too, and then they just start walking.
00:27:55.200 --> 00:28:01.599
Bing, your food is ready, they grab it, they sit down, they eat, and they only get 30-minute breaks, the blue collar guys, and so they're right back on the line.
00:28:01.839 --> 00:28:03.599
So you do that every day out there.
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:11.759
No, uh that for that campus and Everett, we're just doing um two days for standard service at four locations, Tuesdays, Thursdays.
00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:16.559
And then we have a lot of like, hey, we want an ice cream day this day, or we want to feed people this day.
00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.559
So um be popular with the folks.
00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:19.279
Yeah, for sure.
00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:22.400
And we do Charleston as well, and then we do uh Oklahoma City.
00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:23.440
What's the plan?
00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:25.200
And uh just up the road in South Carolina.
00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:26.079
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:27.599
How big is that one by comparison?
00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:28.079
It's big.
00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:29.279
But it's not as big as that.
00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:32.240
The Everett one is like it is in two counties.
00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:33.599
The building crosses two.
00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:34.319
No, no, no.
00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:35.599
The the the campus in campus.
00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:36.480
Yeah, wow.
00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:39.839
I mean my first meeting there, I went to I went to multiple zip code campuses.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:42.880
Yeah, I mean, I went to the place I thought it was supposed to be, and they're like, Oh, you're in the wrong place.
00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:45.680
I had to jump in an Uber and drive 15 minutes to get to the right place.
00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:46.960
And stayed on campus the whole time.
00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:47.759
The whole time.
00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:48.799
Oh, that's insane.
00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:52.160
Um, they sat which one do they manufacture in the South Carolina plant?
00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:53.440
Is it 787s?
00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:55.599
The Dreamliner is coming out of there.
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:56.480
Interesting.
00:28:56.720 --> 00:29:01.920
I have a shirt that's but I bought it in the in the gift store that's like and I wear it when I you know fly on planes.
00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:03.359
And oh, are you with Boeing?
00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:04.559
I'm like, well, I feed them.
00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:05.279
Sort of.
00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:10.000
What what I dare I ask, what else are you working on?
00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:14.000
Like you actually you've been doing, you had done some podcasting since we last talked, didn't you?
00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:15.519
I'd seen a couple of things you did.
00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:16.400
It was really good.
00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:22.880
Yeah, I mean, that the the thing that we're really uh working on is um like informational, right?
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:26.960
So there's a lot of people still getting into the food truck space.
00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:29.200
There's a lot of people that have been in it for a long time.
00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:31.519
Uh the the space ebbs and flows.
00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:34.400
Sometimes it's really catering heavy, sometimes it's event heavy.
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:41.839
So we're just doing our best at Best Food Trucks to just give really, really good information based on now eight years of data.
00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:46.480
You know, when somebody comes to me and they say, Well, I, you know, I'm not getting any of these catering gigs.
00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:49.359
And I'm like, Well, you don't even have any pictures on your menu.
00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:50.480
Oh, what do you mean?
00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:55.119
So, like making sure that they understand, like, shoot the food in in natural light.
00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:56.480
These are the things you should do.
00:29:56.559 --> 00:29:59.200
Like things like that, or things like that.
00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:01.680
I harp on literally every week.
00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:04.960
When you email a customer, have a signature block.
00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:06.559
That makes sense, right?
00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:09.519
Yeah, oh yeah, like I'm the email how to get a hold of you.
00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:16.480
Yeah, just your name, a link to your website, uh, your phone number, any links to any articles about you, your social media.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:23.359
I have a story and I won't say who the client was because I'm not allowed to, but um, it was a massive contract.
00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:25.119
They needed food trucks tomorrow.
00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:31.920
And I put out an email and I said, This is what we need two trucks lunch, two trucks dinner, all food paid for.
00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:36.720
People just walk up and grab food, which means it's gonna be a two to four thousand dollar shift per shift.
00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:40.640
And some trucks got back to me and said, Hey, I'm interested.
00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:42.000
Sent from iPhone.
00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:48.720
And some trucks got back to me and said, This is me, I'm amazing, you know, this is why I'm amazing, this is my food, this is an article written about me.
00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:49.839
Well, who do you think I'm gonna go with?
00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:50.720
Who are you gonna pick?
00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:55.519
How how is so social media must be pretty important in that business, or is it not?
00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:56.000
It is.
00:30:56.079 --> 00:31:02.640
I mean, there, but they're the amount of trucks that rely on social media in a meaningful way is a lot smaller than it used to be.
00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:11.440
And I always tell trucks this you know, at the heyday of the food truck industry in LA, 2009 to 2013, everybody's looking for trucks.
00:31:11.680 --> 00:31:16.000
But at some point it becomes ubiquitous, like it's just becomes like part of the culture.
00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:23.599
And when I say to a guy like, hey, you gotta go check out this food truck, and he's like, Well, food trucks come to my office every day, right?
00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:28.079
So I always say, like February 2010, the first food truck festival.
00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:37.200
5,000 people expected, 16,000 people showed up, fire department stopped 5,000 people from coming, every truck, three-hour lines, absolute mayhem.
00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:40.000
Two years later, food truck festival, nobody showed up.
00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:44.160
And that's because nobody could find a food truck in 2010.
00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:44.880
They were all right.
00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:51.759
By 2012, they were deployed and they were at your office and they were at your park and they were at They're just part of the permanent landscape.
00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:52.160
Yeah.
00:31:52.319 --> 00:31:52.559
Yeah.
00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:53.599
And it's so sad.
00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:54.960
I mean, I it is so sad.
00:31:55.039 --> 00:32:01.519
I I I know a food truck operator, actually, I just had a meeting with him the other day, who had 17 trucks, 16 trucks.
00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:05.759
And um and he was so frustrated by all the unpermitted vendors.
00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:12.000
He basically had a uh health inspector walk by three unpermitted vendors, go on his truck and say, I'm gonna inspect you.
00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:13.440
And he said, You can't inspect me.
00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:14.640
And he said, Why not?
00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:15.839
He says, Because I don't have a permit.
00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:16.720
He says, Yeah, you do.
00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.039
He says, No, I have a permit for all my other trucks, not this one.
00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:20.880
And you're not allowed to inspect me.
00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:25.759
And the guy's like, he's like, uh uh, and he calls the and they're right, right?
00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:37.279
So he has to get off the truck and he and then he went in and said, I did that on purpose to show you how crazy how crazy it is that you'll walk by unpermitted vendors to walk on a permitted truck, and that's why I kept that unpermitted.
00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:52.079
So a lot of the sidewalk vendors uh that are permitted or the food card, food trucks that are permitted, are more frustrated than anybody that they have to compete with groups that have no permit, have no washing, have don't have to have a commissary, don't have to have like equipment.
00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:57.279
Potentially unlimited competition that doesn't have to play by any of the rules.
00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:57.680
Right.
00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:18.880
And so one of the things that I'll be talking about here is um with our app, our and we haven't launched it yet, but we're launching it soon, and you know, any partnership with any health department, with our app, a health um a food truck will be able to take pictures that are marked so that it can be automatically reported to health departments.
00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:20.160
So you that's brilliant.
00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:30.960
Yeah, so your best line of defense, like instead of being at odds with these food trucks that are permitted, they should be your first line of defense because they're gonna tell you faster than anybody or the unpermitted vendors.
00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:32.000
And they are out there.
00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:35.680
And they're out there and they want them, they want it fixed, right?
00:33:35.759 --> 00:33:39.279
They want to be they're compliant, they want everybody to be compliant.
00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:42.160
So yeah, our new system is gonna When are you gonna release that?
00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:42.960
That's really smart.
00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:46.319
Yeah, so that's we're gonna that'll probably release in the next couple months.
00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:49.200
Um when you drop it, will you come back on and show us and talk about it?
00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:49.839
Yeah, sure.
00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:51.119
Come on remote from LA.
00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:55.680
That would be that's gonna be really really helpful.
00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:59.200
Yeah, because like right now, all they can do is really just complain and get frustrated, right?
00:33:59.359 --> 00:33:59.440
Right.
00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:03.440
Giving them a chance to constructively, and it gives the health department the ability to paint a map.
00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:04.960
Yeah, just heat picture of what's out there.
00:34:05.119 --> 00:34:05.920
Yeah, just a heat map.
00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:10.400
So these these things will go in and then it'll all be heat mapped because it's all iPhone, right?
00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:14.719
Um, and then you'll know where your problem problematic areas are.
00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:23.519
And you know, again, I don't want heads cracked, and you know, I don't want crazy enforcement, but like education's your your first step.
00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:27.840
Enforcement is part of that, um, is part of that step.
00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:32.719
And you know, helping vendors that are unpermitted get permitted.
00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:37.360
And I I really believe that, but you can't do any of that until there's some sort of consequence for doing it wrong.
00:34:37.599 --> 00:34:38.000
That's right.
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:39.199
There has to be a rule somewhere.
00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:39.599
Yeah.
00:34:39.760 --> 00:34:44.000
Um, what so what would you because you're like like you're here, right?
00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:46.079
Like you you put it, you put in the work.
00:34:46.239 --> 00:34:51.760
Um, you have a good relationship with regulatory, uh, even if you are a pain to them sometimes.
00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:56.000
LA County probably agrees that, but but they also like you, yeah, right?
00:34:56.079 --> 00:34:58.239
Like because you you're coming from a good place.
00:34:58.320 --> 00:34:59.440
Like they know what you're about.
00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:04.159
What would you tell if somebody's out there they're like dying to start a food cart, they think it's a good business.
00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:14.239
They they think they what are what are this the basic wise advice that you would give to anybody that called you or you know, wanted to join one of your associations or uh groups?
00:35:14.480 --> 00:35:15.199
What do you tell them?
00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:22.400
I mean, obviously email signature, sad that has to be told these days, but like what are just like the basics to have at least a chance?
00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:28.000
Yeah, I mean, I I I always start with you're going into a this business to make money.
00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:38.880
And I have seen so often food truck operators um serve a product, and at the end of the day, the money that they took in, very little of that money went into their pocket.
00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:45.920
And that's just a lack of understanding of like putting together a business plan, uh PL, like just all the things necessary to be successful.
00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:54.400
And what I'll always say is whatever you want to serve, get ready, get in your kitchen, invite 20 of your friends over, and how fast can you get through those 20 friends?
00:35:54.719 --> 00:35:55.440
That's that exactly.
00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:58.159
And so, like making a sandwich, making tacos, whatever it is.
00:35:58.400 --> 00:35:59.360
And you turn it scale.
00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:04.960
Because now on a food truck or a food cart, you have your hour and a half lunch rush, and then you don't have a lot after that.
00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:12.800
So in that hour and a half lunch, can you make enough money at the speed with the menu, all that to actually make a run at it?
00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:19.679
And if you only want to start one food truck, maybe it's not the best idea if you if if you're okay with the income.
00:36:19.760 --> 00:36:26.400
But if you're trying to create something bigger, maybe the second food truck, the uh a food cart, I think that's a really good goal to have.
00:36:26.480 --> 00:36:28.400
But your product has to make you money.
00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:33.519
And I'll I'll just give you a quick um, you know, 2010 pastrami truck.
00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:44.079
They weren't making any money, they couldn't figure it out, they were doing their cost outs, but they were doing their cost outs on a pastrami that was 10 pounds, and then they steamed it for four hours and it was seven and a half pounds.
00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:45.360
So they did the math wrong.
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:46.639
So their pricing was completely odd.
00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:48.639
It'd be at least a 25% increase, right?
00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:54.400
In your because you yeah, and that and that's the fine print on every hamburger was uh post-cooking pre-cooking weight.
00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:54.639
Yeah.
00:36:54.880 --> 00:36:58.320
And so then they had to, they were selling the sandwiches for$5.99.
00:36:58.400 --> 00:36:59.119
They put it up to 10.
00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:01.599
I mean, they just freaked out because they had burned the hole.
00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:05.760
And so it's so important that whatever you're gonna serve, you make money off of.
00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:08.000
Almost every business, know your numbers, right?
00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:08.480
Right.
00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:13.840
But but and then the numbers you have to think about how much is it gonna cost to upkeep your truck?
00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:17.679
How much is it gonna cost to upkeep your um your generator?
00:37:18.320 --> 00:37:22.000
Is your staff, you know, do you have enough room for your staff on the truck so they can all drop together?
00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:25.360
Are you gonna have to pay, you know, help them pay to get to your locations?
00:37:25.519 --> 00:37:26.800
Like there's all these little things.
00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:29.440
And so I try to go over all of that with them.
00:37:29.519 --> 00:37:31.360
That's what the first podcast was about.
00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:32.719
And then what's your mix?
00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:34.400
You want to be more on the street or more catering?
00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:37.440
Well, you always want to do more catering because then you can really control your numbers.
00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:42.239
So uh that's a lot of people, it's it looks simple from the outside, right?
00:37:42.320 --> 00:37:44.639
Oh, just get a cart or a truck and sell food.
00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:46.400
But it's there's a lot to it.
00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:47.519
Yeah, it's a business.
00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:57.920
It's a business, and it's you know, I I always say that there were the pioneers of the LA food truck industry, and the guys that came into it were really, really savvy, and they were you know guys that were chefs.
00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:10.159
And then I said the next round about 2011, they were the gold rushers, and they were just buying like frozen patties and trying to serve, and they had a beautiful looking truck, but they didn't have a very good product, and they kind of washed out really quickly.
00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:15.920
It's interesting in so many professions it's this way the people who do it really well make it look easy, don't they?
00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:21.119
And so that invites the the oh, me too group to come along as well.
00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:22.480
Yeah, wild.
00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:32.000
Yeah, and you know, I mean, you still have to have a brand that looks good, you have to have a pres social media presence, but none of that matters if you're not making money from the burrito that you're selling or the the sandwich you're selling.
00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:33.360
Really, really good advice.
00:38:33.440 --> 00:38:34.559
I can't wait to see the app.
00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:40.159
I've and um that is I know there's a lot of health departments around the country that will embrace it.
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:40.559
Yep.
00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:42.719
Like I mean not everybody's not enforcing.
00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:43.840
Yeah, I know, I know.
00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:50.400
And you know, we're like we just did a full vendor rebuild um to really gamify someone a vendor signs into best food trucks.
00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:53.920
It's like you don't have enough pictures, or you could be making more money if you do this.
00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:58.480
So we really want to gamify that that um that reporting process as well.
00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:04.639
So they're really incentivized to help the local health departments um, you know, do what they need to do.
00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:05.440
Do their job.
00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:06.320
Yeah, it's great.
00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:11.199
I know you got a presentation again, so I don't want to send you to the podium late, but man, thank you so much.
00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:14.400
And um we'll yeah, let us know when the app is out.
00:39:14.719 --> 00:39:18.639
Matt Geller, the food truck guy, so much more than that, though.
00:39:18.719 --> 00:39:20.239
It's good to see you in person.
00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:22.320
Um, so we will let him go.
00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:28.320
And we have a couple more conversations worth to tear down the mobile studio, but uh you enjoyed that as much as I did.
00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:31.280
And um, he broke some news here, Kansas City, LA.
00:39:31.360 --> 00:39:34.559
You got some facts you're not going to read about online, probably for sure.
00:39:34.719 --> 00:39:39.360
So thanks to Matt for all of us here at the Beyond Data Management Podcast, powered by HSGovTech.
00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:40.400
I'm Cameron Garrison.
00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:42.880
We'll be back with you soon with more from Jiha.
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.719
We delivered the 80 carts, 77 of those carts are still sitting in a ISD warehouse.
00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:12.880
Creating a second class uh of of dining and access, right?
00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:14.320
Yeah, and it should be embarrassing.
00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:18.960
Are we just gonna wait till somebody gets really sick and there's just a bad outbreak break and somebody makes it dies?
00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:28.480
This is the Beyond Data Management Podcast powered by HSGovTech.
00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:31.440
Now here's your host, Cameron Garrison.
00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:32.560
Welcome back.
00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:43.280
We're still at Lake Lamere, 30 minutes uh north of Atlanta here at Jihad, Georgia Environmental Health Association, their 2026 conference, and having a lot of great conversations.
00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:49.039
If you're watching this on the channel, uh in the future, you're gonna be like, wow, they did a lot of episodes there.
00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:54.240
We we have uh a person that really needs no introduction, a friendly face that has been here before.
00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:55.439
Actually, episode four.
00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:57.600
It's time is flying, it's been that long.
00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:00.320
But Matt Geller, um, you have a lot of titles.
00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:01.520
We dealt with this last time.
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:14.159
Um the best food trucks, right, is the is your food truck company, but you also are running associations and and you're probably the chief advocate in the country for for proper mobile operating, aren't you?
00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:20.480
Yeah, I mean, I think uh not to take away from regional associations, but there's a lot of areas that don't have regional associations yet.
00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:23.439
So they come to us at the National Food Truck Association for help.
00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:25.359
And uh we're all volunteer.
00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:28.480
We charge nothing to be a part of the National Food Truck Association.
00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:37.680
Um, you know, we've got Kansas City right now is making regulations that block food trucks 300 feet from a restaurant for no other reason than to block competition.
00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:41.680
Uh so we're trying to help them with public records requests and figuring out what's going on with that.
00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:46.799
So we do a lot in that space, especially when there are regions that just don't have any sort of representation.
00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:49.920
You have a way of finding your way into the hottest of issues, don't you?
00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:51.840
Yeah, because it is political, right?
00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.120
In so many of these jurisdictions.
00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:53.760
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:58.560
In fact, you you're doing LA basically as a 24-hour day trip from here.
00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:03.200
Um, and what was interesting is when Danielle called us and said, Hey, can you bring the podcast now?
00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:04.959
And she's like, Matt's gonna be there.
00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:07.760
She goes, I watched the episode and I was like, I know him.
00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:10.879
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00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:21.680
So how how does she know?
00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:27.599
You actually have done some work um through your association, right, with with Georgia on their mobile.
00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:28.240
Yeah.
00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:34.639
So the the George the Food Truck Association of Georgia, um, they just wanted to change some laws and make things more uniform.
00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:46.800
And they came to us and we had worked, you know, on the Arizona Food Truck Freedom Bill, some things in Ohio, and we're constantly trying to get things either not passed if they're pushing something we don't like or passed if they are.
00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:52.719
Um and so I was just, you know, kind of gave my thoughts on everything for the new uh Georgia legislation.
00:03:52.879 --> 00:04:04.319
Um and above and beyond that, we, you know, we work with Home Depot, who I think is one of the, you know, nationally one of those companies that's really empowering mobile vendors right now because they have mobile vendors outside of their stores.
00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:09.840
And so we Best Food Trucks has a contract with them to bring mobile vendors to more and more stores.
00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:14.719
Um and in Georgia, where they're located, I you know, I come out to Atlanta and meet with them.
00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:18.160
And um, we've got I think eight stores and just in the Atlanta region.
00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:22.959
Um, and they, you know, Home Depot is just really empowering them.
00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:38.560
And you know, I've you know, I have a talk today at 245, and I'm gonna have a video about one of the first people we put at a Home Depot who went from selling tamales behind a tree out of a cooler to uh doing, you know, sit now a six-figure uh income permanent out of a permitted truck.
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:40.319
Out of a permitted uh food cart.
00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:42.480
What are your carts that you built?
00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:43.279
Yeah, yeah, of course.
00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:56.639
So I also have a company called Revolution Carts where we build um so now we have uh an ice cream cart, a hot hold cart for tamales, a small grill cart that has uh that's only 58 inches long by 30 inches wide.
00:04:56.879 --> 00:04:59.120
Um, and then our big grill cart.
00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:01.360
So we're you know we you're you're really growing that.
00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:02.560
Do you ever sleep?
00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:04.160
I mean, I I try.
00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:20.079
I I would say right now, uh our biggest problem in in or the thing that's taking up the majority of my time right now is Revolution Carts has delivered 125 permitted carts to the county of Los Angeles for distribution to vendors that most need it.
00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:23.519
I think when you were on last year, you were in early stages of that.
00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:24.800
Yeah, building them.
00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:25.360
Yeah.
00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:30.879
So we delivered last year uh 80 carts, uh, all of them on time.
00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:32.800
We beat, actually, we beat the schedule.
00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:37.279
Um, and so the county of LA starting in August had 80 carts to distribute.
00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:41.199
77 of those carts are still sitting in a ISD warehouse.
00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:42.319
Right now, still right now.
00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:46.560
Uh we've August, yeah, we've given away three, which was last month.
00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:48.720
Um, and so it's just frustrating.
00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:55.600
And that becomes my advocacy mission to like like my partners at Revolution Carts will say, well, they paid us for the carts.
00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:59.120
And I'll say, as an advocate, who cares?
00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:04.079
We have 15,000 unpermitted vendors in the county of LA, and they need help.
00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:09.680
And the County of LA residents who want to eat food should be eating safe food.
00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:12.079
And we all have now we have the means to give them.
00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:14.079
So we delivered the 80 carts.
00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:17.040
Uh, we just delivered another 45 grill carts.
00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:21.920
And so now they're sitting in our facility and we're they're gonna have like 118 on tap.
00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:28.160
They got 119 right now waiting, and then I've got another 15 grill carts and another 25 uh ice cream carts coming.
00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:32.879
And the biggest issue is how to get vendors to fill out forms.
00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:34.160
The paperwork.
00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:35.120
The paperwork.
00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:44.399
Is there is is there like a is there like a legitimate, like big weighty issue to figure out about the forms, or is it just the typical committee drags on forever stuff?
00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:48.000
No, it's not it's they they have an NGO that they contracted with.
00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:53.519
Uh, I don't necessarily believe that they understand how to get these forms filled out.
00:06:53.600 --> 00:07:02.240
And when we've given away 57 free cards sponsored by Taco Bell, sponsored by uh Rockstar Energy, sponsored by Snapchat.
00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:06.000
And what we do is we just chase the vendor down until they fill out the paperwork.
00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:09.680
And that means going to where they're vending on a corner if necessary.
00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:19.439
And inclusive action for the city who has the contract, who's been paid 1.2 million, who was originally supposed to be given they've been paid 1.2 million to administer giving away the carts that haven't been given away.
00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:22.959
Well, originally they were supposed to give away, they were supposed to build the 200 carts.
00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:23.519
They couldn't do that.
00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:24.560
So they changed the contract.
00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:25.680
Now they don't have to do that.
00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:32.480
Then they were supposed to build auxiliary sinks to uh use with the carts with just hand washing sinks.
00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:34.480
And then they were supposed to create vending zones.
00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:35.839
So they wiped all of that.
00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:38.399
Now all they have to do is get vendors to fill out paperwork.
00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:39.600
And have they done it?
00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:43.759
Yes, for eight vendors out of the over 100.
00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:48.560
So my I'm pushing and kicking and screaming and fighting and emailing.
00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:51.040
And on Tuesday I will speak in front of the supervisors.
00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:53.600
They'll give me one minute to speak and say, What are you doing?
00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:54.639
These people need your help.
00:07:54.720 --> 00:08:08.560
So um because you were telling me before we recorded, like they're also doing some things through administrative policy that also don't really lend itself to leaning into the carts they have available in terms of uh enforcement, right?
00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:08.959
Right.
00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:14.399
So 15,000 to 30,000 unpermitted food vendors working every day in the county of Los Angeles.
00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.680
And that's 85 cities out of the 88 cities.
00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:20.399
Uh, as you know, there's three cities that have their own health departments.
00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:28.560
Um, and about five to six months ago, they put a pause on that and they said, because of the ice rates, we're not gonna enforce unpermitted vending regulations.
00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:34.240
I asked them yesterday, yesterday, I said, when are you gonna start enforcing these regulations?
00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:40.480
Because if you're giving away carts and those vendors have permitted carts and they have to compete with people that aren't permitted, you're gonna destroy your own program.
00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:40.799
Yeah.
00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:42.639
And they said, we're no longer gonna go.
00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:46.559
I mean, I I have in my presentation, I actually have the email printed.
00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:56.960
We're not gonna go after individual vendors, we're just gonna go after the um organizations that are giving them carts, giving them food, which I think is gonna account for maybe 10% of them.
00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.320
So the whole policy has totally just gone south.
00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:05.279
That doesn't make sense because you're not going to go enforce Costco, right?
00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:11.440
Because I would imagine if you're unpermitted, you're probably not running a credit account with a big provider, are you?
00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:11.840
Right.
00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:25.360
So the I I their their um their basic thought on this is that there are, and this is true, there are some organizations that have a bunch of fruit carts, and you go pick up a fruit cart and you sell and they pay you 50 bucks for the day.
00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:26.240
They're gonna go after that.
00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:28.720
Okay, so they're almost like a little syndicate of illegal vendors.
00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:33.600
Yeah, then there's a little syndicate of guys that are little hot dog stands, you know, the with the the cookie sheet.
00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:34.320
Yeah, yeah, right.
00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:36.559
And and and those guys do exist.
00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:42.879
Are they the majority of the 15,000 unpermitted and that's conservative, 15,000 unpermitted vendors operating every day?
00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:44.559
No, maybe 10, maybe 20.
00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:49.120
Even if it's 30%, you're still dealing with thousands and thousands of vendors.
00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:52.480
And because of no enforcement, now they're incentivizing the the process.
00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:53.679
Yeah, aren't you?
00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:57.840
I mean, if it's if you can do whatever you want, aren't you gonna get more of it?
00:09:58.080 --> 00:09:58.480
Yep.
00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:03.919
And and the sad thing is there have been vendors that have won a free cart.
00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:10.879
I mean, the carts are anywhere from seven, I mean, the ice cream carts are three grand, the potd seven, the grill twelve.
00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:16.240
You win a free cart, and then you won't fill out your paperwork because you're like, I don't want to be permitted, I I can just keep doing what I'm doing.
00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:19.279
Which is, you know, like and having a grill.
00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:31.279
So, I mean, LA County is your picture perfect example of what not to do in this space, which is just let it run among for so long that it becomes such a big monster you can't even contain it.
00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:38.559
And then it feels like if you go that down that road, then you'll be sleeping on it until something bad happens, right?
00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.440
And then of course it'll be a big thing and they'll have to bring it in.
00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:46.240
Yeah, which is my email to uh someone who I respect a lot and I, you know, I think she's great.
00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:49.039
She's the you know uh director of environmental health.
00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:54.399
Uh I said, are we just gonna wait till somebody gets really sick and there's just a a bad outbreak break and somebody maybe dies?
00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:55.919
Is that what we're gonna wait for?
00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:01.440
And I I, you know, with foodborne illness and public health, it's not an if, right?
00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:02.320
It's always a when.
00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:04.000
Yeah, especially with those numbers.
00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:08.639
15,000 unpermitted, like the law of large numbers says things are gonna happen.
00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:12.399
And the frustrating thing is, you know, you have a lot of advocates who are like, oh, let's let them do it.
00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:17.919
But like it's not fair that the affluent parts of LA, you know, where I can go to Venice, right?
00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.559
And I can have a great burger off of a food truck, and that food truck has an A on it.
00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:24.799
And if that anything happens, I can call the public health.
00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:31.519
Whereas, and that's an affluent community, and the places that are not affluent, they have they're stuck with getting what they get.
00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:36.879
And a lot of these areas in the eastern part of the city, like they don't have a lot of food options.
00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:38.159
So they're going to these unpermitted.
00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:46.879
So that that they don't have restaurant row and budgets and so you're just you're condemning them to to fend for themselves.
00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:51.200
You're creating a second class uh of of dining and access, right?
00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:52.639
Yeah, and it should be embarrassing.
00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:53.840
I mean, it should we should be able to do that.
00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:56.240
Well, yeah, because you're not inclusive at all.
00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:56.720
No.
00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:01.759
Is it that I they they are a lot of really dedicated people in LA County.
00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:04.240
Uh I I know a lot of them, like you know all of them.
00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:04.720
Yeah.
00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:12.240
Um is part of it that nobody wants the hot potato because it the police definitely still don't want to touch it, do they?
00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:12.559
Right.
00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:15.679
I mean, some of the smaller cities, like LA's LA, right?
00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.440
LA City is a city of four million people.
00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:23.600
Some of the smaller cities are cracking down, not with the health department, but just police are going out and saying you can't vent here.
00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:28.159
Um, just in where I live, which is a fairly, you know, I'm right outside of LA.
00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:29.840
I live in a city called Culver City.
00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:32.559
There's like six or seven vendors that take up the entire sidewalk.
00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:37.919
When I walk to CVS to go get uh a prescription, I have to walk into the street around them.
00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:38.639
Seriously.
00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:38.960
Yeah.
00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:43.759
There's a lot of statutes on the books that make that not something you're supposed to do.
00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:46.720
Whether you're selling doesn't matter whether it's food or not.
00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:51.679
Like if you or I, what would uh maybe in LA, maybe we could just camp out on the sidewalk and they wouldn't care.
00:12:52.720 --> 00:13:04.320
And it's why I mean, you know, I've been in arguments with the county health department about whether two food trucks or three food trucks require a community event permit if vending on a private piece of property.
00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:10.240
And that fight lasted two weeks and I had to get the supervisors involved, and finally we agreed to three and not two.
00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:15.440
Like, imagine that fight and then this fight where I'm like, you're not gonna inspect anybody?
00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.799
Nobody, like you're just you've just given up that.
00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:33.759
And it just feels so different than when I first started the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association in 2010, where I had food trucks that had to be within 200 feet of a restaurant restroom, and I had one 201 feet once and got shut down and had to come in for a hearing.
00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:35.440
That's that that was strict.
00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:38.960
That and it was too strict, and we worked it out and now it's better.
00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.440
But like, but did they go too far the other way?
00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:44.080
And that's what that's this pendulum that just swings back and forth.
00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:49.279
And we all just need a little bit of central hang in the middle for a little while.
00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:54.000
So that's what we're dealing with in LA, and it's um you know, it's nothing but frustrating.
00:13:54.080 --> 00:14:03.120
And yeah, uh, you know, in this whole process of giving away carts, uh, there was a lot of blame put at the head of the or at the foot of the uh department of public health.
00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:16.080
And I just kept saying, when I work with them, they get back to me, they approve our carts quickly, when we need them to come out and inspect the carts, like everything that DPH was doing to get these carts into the hands of people and they were getting blamed for a lot was perfect.
00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:20.480
This new policy, I don't believe, is really coming from the county health department.
00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:30.480
I think it's coming from uh the elected board offices, and they think they're doing some sort of some sort of good, but they're really they're gonna find that it's gonna be helpful.
00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:35.039
It's it's that's an it's it's anarchy, at least with food trucks, right?
00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:35.759
Like it's you can't do it.
00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:36.799
Food carty.
00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:39.360
I mean, really it's just not the full trucks, but the cart.
00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:44.559
They're just setting up a pop-up tent, having a big thing, a trumpo, you know, like the big, yeah.
00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:47.039
And they're just and there's no sink, right?
00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:47.840
There's no hot water.
00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:49.679
It might be an igloo cooler if you're lucky, right?
00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:55.120
And you know, we've had some significant outbreaks in the country lately.
00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:59.519
And so now everybody's got to hope and pray that it ends up okay.
00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:15.679
And um, and you know, I still believe that if there was some reasonable enforcement and you have this new car program and people were educated on which food trucks to eat from, and the food vendors were educated on how they can become permitted, you would see a a shift towards the formal economy.
00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:20.240
You would all the all the incentives would be towards joining the formal economy, wouldn't they?
00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:27.360
And you know, one of the things that we're trying to do, and I'm actually going to talk about my speech today, is um, you know, the more things like a Home Depot.
00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:29.360
Uh we we have a deal with Met LA Metro.
00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:31.039
We're gonna put vendors at metro stations.
00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:31.919
Oh, that's cool.
00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:50.799
Yeah, and we're uh, you know, and we're talking to more, and I'm I'm talking to the county about putting vendors at county buildings with hundreds of employees so that they can make you know, and so then you dangle this carrot, you have some enforcement, you dangle a carrot saying if you have a cart, you get to go to these really um uh these places that are gonna make you a lot of money.
00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:51.360
Yep.
00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:59.120
And then we can and then people start to see A's on the carts that and then we can change some and then and then literally momentum takes over, doesn't it?
00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:05.840
And so we need that momentum, but if they're not gonna enforce anything, then I can't I like I I'm running backwards, right?
00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:10.879
So you're gonna have a viral moment when you go to the you say it's LA County Commission meeting you're going to be.
00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:12.159
Yeah, uh Board of Supervisors.
00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:16.159
Board of Supervisors meets every Tuesday, and I usually will have to sit there.
00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.840
I mean, I've sat there seven hours to get up and speak for one minute before.
00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:21.039
And they enforce it.
00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:24.320
And then they'll you probably see some crazy stuff while you're waiting too, don't you?
00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:40.240
Oh no, I don't even know that this there's a guy in there that he's always screaming all sorts of obscenities, but um, but you know, they will typically come out and you know, they'll send all like they're up there and then they'll send their people to come talk to me and I'll give everybody the business for you know the next 20 minutes.
00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:46.080
And then, you know, if I don't I mean, I I tell them all the time, if I don't keep pushing, you guys will just forget I exist.
00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.879
And I understand LA County has 10 million people.
00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:51.360
That's more people than 40 states.
00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:52.559
You have to make noise.
00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:58.399
There's there's a bud, a massive budget for the county, and they're dealing with wildfire, like a fire fires right now.
00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:00.159
They're dealing, they're just they deal with so much.
00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:01.840
How is that going with the fire recovery?
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:13.200
Because you know, when you don't live there, you see you see stuff online that the recovery, the rebuilding from the fire pastor almost two years ago now, yeah, um, is really slow.
00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.279
And you care about a lot of things.
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:16.880
And one of them was right after the fire.
00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:22.559
It was um, I think it was right around the time that you did the podcast the first time, you did a fundraiser.
00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:26.880
Um I I believe I donated to the leak.
00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:31.279
I if I flaked, uh I think I did I how did that go well?
00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:33.279
Were you funds together?
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:37.839
For about a month we were feeding first responders every uh five nights a week.
00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:40.640
Um your own pocket.
00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:53.680
Well, so I mean we best food trucks put a lot of money into it, but nothing compared to a star a star that all of you know, and I'm not allowed to say his name because he didn't want any credit for it.
00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:55.599
He's a musician and he's amazing.
00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:57.920
And he just said, send me the bill every night.
00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:09.200
His people did, I didn't talk to him personally, and he would not take and I was like, I gotta tell someone he's like, Nope, you know, I'll tell you, but didn't want the publicity, didn't want the publicity, but Fed P Fed first responders every night for a month.
00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:09.920
It was crazy.
00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:15.039
And I you know some of them, you know, fourteen hundred dollars, fifteen hundred dollars, you know, just I'm just sending them a bill every day.
00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:16.079
They just paid it every day.
00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:16.880
Boom, boom.
00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:17.920
Oh, that's amazing.
00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.640
There's still a lot of good people out there.
00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:21.440
Yeah, definitely.
00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:22.240
It's amazing.
00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:27.599
So what so a Kansas City thing uh caught my attention when you said that earlier.
00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:33.519
It does sound like they're just colluding with uh brick and mortar restaurant change for anti-competitive.
00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:33.920
Yeah.
00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:35.599
What what have you discovered so far?
00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:38.559
I know public records requests are a slow, tedious process.
00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:40.000
They they didn't give us anything.
00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:44.640
I'm I'm just drafting my response saying this is you know, so so those non-responsive, yeah.
00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:53.599
Um now the one thing I'll tell you about LA County, the city of Los Angeles, when I put in a public records request, they are they take it very seriously and they give me everything.
00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:54.480
That's great.
00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:56.960
So, but in Kansas City, not so much.
00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:04.880
And um, and they're calling attorney client privilege, and I'm like, I just want to see the emails between the restaurant association and the um and the elected officials.
00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:10.079
And I, you know, I'm not so crazy as to say food truck should be able to do whatever they want, right?
00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:17.039
But I am very uh serious about government staying out of comp competition, right?
00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:25.839
And it and you know, I look at Washington, DC as the very best example, and that was I I worked in Washington, DC in 2004.
00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:46.720
The food wasn't that great, food trucks came around in 2010 and they absolutely demolished the restaurant industry, mostly because the restaurant industry was really terrible and they were serving like college style buffet lines, and then they didn't have to do anything else, and then the restaurant came industry came screaming back, and there are very few few food trucks in the district now.
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:47.200
Really?
00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:49.359
So because so many good restaurants opened.
00:19:49.519 --> 00:20:11.440
Because they just got smoked by good restaurants, and you know, we're consumers, and when you think about an elected official, you might have a few food truck uh constituents, you might have a few restaurant constituents, but what you have is a lot of food-eating constituents who you're supposed to be representing, and competition creates great product, and uh and it did in DC, and DC is now a very, very serious food city.
00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:12.559
I think food trucks have a lot to say.
00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:17.839
I didn't know that backstory because DC is now like known, you can get some good food in DC.
00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:25.039
That's great, and um so our competition, it is, it is uh honestly what built the country, right?
00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:28.960
You know, it's um and government putting their thumb on the scale.
00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:37.920
Even if they a lot of times you find these are good people, like we're at the conference you have good people a lot of cases it's not even being done intentionally.
00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:40.160
It they sometimes they have good motives for what they're doing.
00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:44.960
Sometimes no, but in a lot of cases, but unintended consequences, man, they come.
00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:45.519
Yep.
00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:47.039
And they get you hard.
00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:49.279
How is the food truck business going in general?
00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:51.839
Because you give so much to yourself for no charge.
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:54.559
Um because you did the Taco Bell Initiative.
00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:58.079
How is the all of how's the that business and company going?
00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:00.319
I I mean, best food trucks continues to grow.
00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:06.160
I mean, you know, we have contracts with uh Boeing, so we do Boeing campuses nationally, um, Home Depot.
00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:10.720
Um, we you know generate a lot of income for food trucks through our catering system.
00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:13.680
Um like the portal, it handles everything for them, doesn't it?
00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:27.599
And um, you know, I think what you're seeing is more and more, you know, more and more people are back to work, and a lot of these uh big office complexes are they don't want um they don't want cafeterias anymore, right?
00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:34.319
Because the same thing, and so they're like more and more people are really into food truck schedules and food truck um rotations.
00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:36.640
Like nobody wants me to send the same food truck every day.
00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:40.640
They want, you know, when I send a food truck, I say you won't see them again for three weeks, right?
00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:46.160
So um and so yeah, our business is booming and and food trucks are doing great.
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:58.240
And because it is such a competitive market, you're just seeing better and better food trucks, better and better quality, you know, more efficiencies in just trying to uh you know serve the public.
00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:03.680
I mean, we did um Uh WWDC this year, the Worldwide Developer Conference on the Apple campus.
00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:04.319
Really?
00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:05.359
Thousands of vendors.
00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:06.880
Did you go to the Apple campus?
00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.039
Yeah, we were I I've always wanted to get it.
00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:09.839
It looks cool.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:10.799
It's really cool.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:19.200
Um, and we had uh I believe 14 trucks and we had to serve 1,500 people in about two and a half hours.
00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:21.599
The longest wait was four hours or four minutes.
00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:22.400
Four minutes?
00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:22.960
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:23.680
And wow.
00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:31.119
So one of the craziest things that I you know, I I I laugh at this because these are all developers, they're all very they they do very well.
00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:37.519
Yeah, yes, and we we gotta feed them fast, and we have everything empanadas, Chinese, like everything.
00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:41.599
Which truck had to go into their reserves?
00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:43.279
Because everybody had a certain amount.
00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:45.920
What cuisine did the best?
00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:47.519
Hot dogs.
00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:48.559
Seriously?
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:49.119
What?
00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:50.240
American hot dogs.
00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:50.960
American hot dog.
00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.839
People were running around with two hot dogs in Cupertino, California.
00:22:54.480 --> 00:23:01.440
Yeah, yeah, you yeah, the W-2s of most of the people ordering those hot dogs would would put put us in shame, probably.
00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:06.240
So the the um, you know, the the but the longest line we had was the hot dog line.
00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:08.000
It got backed up a little bit about four minutes.
00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:10.000
So, you know, I say that too.
00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:14.720
I remember when food trucks really got started and they started getting catering gigs and they could not ha handle volume.
00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:18.960
It was taking them three, four, five minutes to get through meals, 10 minutes.
00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:23.680
And these guys, the way we did their menus, they were just food was just I'm flying out.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:29.759
So you're orchestrating every element of it, what what the truck serves, probably their processes.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:30.880
Yeah, everything.
00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:37.359
Um, I mean, even where they are, like um, you know, when these guys walk out, what's going to be the most popular?
00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:39.519
We try to put them out here so they walk the whole thing.
00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:40.400
They can go buy them.
00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:45.440
Yeah, where the dessert is, like we're really serious about all of that, especially in something like that.
00:23:45.599 --> 00:24:01.039
But I was just so proud that these guys just, you know, they got the food out, they had their systems down, and so as you're seeing the food truck industry grow and expand, you're just seeing operators that are just absolute professionals, just amazing skill set.
00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:03.839
And because they have to earn their customers' business, don't they?
00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:04.240
Yeah.
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:06.480
Are they using your computer systems too?
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:06.880
Aren't they?
00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:10.559
So on something like that, there's all the food was paid for by Apple.
00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:14.720
Oh, so it's just you're so they're just they're just walking out grabbing food and walking to sit down.
00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:16.640
One one payer of the check at the end.
00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:18.240
Yeah, that's that's nice, isn't it?
00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:18.960
Yeah, for sure.
00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:34.319
Especially, you know, we do a lot of big hospital like uh healthcare appreciation events, and when we do that, you like we once tried to have the doctors and nurses ordering beforehand, they don't even walk out with they're in scrubs, they don't even have their phone with them, they don't even know what I wouldn't have thought of that.
00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:42.160
Yeah, so so like we're you know, we there is a style and system for every type of customer.
00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:52.160
And when you're dealing with like something like WWDC or uh a big hospital um uh event, you just gotta let people walk up and grab one thing or the other thing.
00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:55.920
Each truck had three things, so just boom, boom, boom, or we'll wonder grab and go.
00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.720
Yep, grab and go.
00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:57.599
Four minutes.
00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:59.680
Uh you can't even find any drive-throughs in the country.
00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:00.880
I mean, that was more that'll do that.
00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:04.640
That was only about 10, 15 minutes where it got up to most of the time.
00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:05.279
No wait.
00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:06.960
Just walk right up, grab one of the three.
00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:07.359
Wow.
00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:08.720
And how many people was that event did you say?
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:12.960
How much of the Apple campus did you get to see?
00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:15.680
Not not I didn't get to go into the the infinite loop.
00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:18.960
I was right across the street at the developers uh conference.
00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:23.279
It was uh but they're you know consummate professionals.
00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:24.079
We talk to them.
00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:26.480
Uh they have their own health department on staff.
00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:28.480
Apple has a health department.
00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:35.519
Yeah, it's all it's staffed by um basically uh environmental health specialists that were at health departments before.
00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:38.240
They went in and they temped everything.
00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:40.880
We we had the food trucks show up an hour and a half early.
00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:46.160
They temped everything, they checked every truck, they wrote out inspection reports everything.
00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:47.759
Using the food code.
00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:48.240
Yep.
00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:49.920
Yep, California retail food code.
00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:50.720
That's a story.
00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:54.559
Yeah, they've Apple would probably never talk to anybody about that, but that's remarkable.
00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:54.799
Yeah.
00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:57.119
They probably pay really good compared to it.
00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:00.880
I don't know, but they they were they were just absolute professionals.
00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:03.039
Like just that is they were just the the best.
00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:06.160
I mean, I would it doesn't surprise me though, they pay attention to detail there.
00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:06.799
Oh man.
00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:12.480
And they have their own, they have their own, they they don't go to Aramark or Sedexo or Compass, they have the Mac Cafe.
00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:13.359
They're in-house.
00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:13.920
In-house.
00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:16.079
All they do all their how do you land an account like that?
00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:19.200
Because that's a that's rare air, like ChatGPT.
00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:30.240
The company that so they had a an event company that they hired, and that company was trying to find somebody like us, and they went to Chat GPT, and ChatGPT said go to Best Food Trucks.
00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:31.440
Amazing.
00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:32.559
How hilarious.
00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:35.200
So Apple Apple from Chat GPT.
00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:35.680
Yeah, yeah.
00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:37.519
So I mean Apple doesn't do with them.
00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:38.799
So there's like a vet like that.
00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:40.720
So you know that so that company came.
00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:45.119
But still, like that company has got to be very careful with the vendors they select because Apple does care so much.
00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:46.799
Yeah, oh no, I mean big honor.
00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:51.920
When we do when we do present, when we do proposals, I mean we we have things down to the minute.
00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:56.720
Like we're in we're just I mean, we work with Boeing and I mean we work with some really big guys.
00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:58.400
You cannot mess up, no messing up, right?
00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:05.359
So and Boeing has been knocked around more, but I know that I've I've always had good luck on their planes.
00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:06.960
I've landed every time.
00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:08.160
Yeah.
00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:13.039
All right, so you're doing are you doing that uh the facility that's the largest building on the planet?
00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:14.160
Uh that they went up in the building.
00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:14.640
In Everett.
00:27:14.799 --> 00:27:15.200
Everett, yes.
00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:15.680
I've been there.
00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:16.319
I've been in it, yeah.
00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:17.359
In the building, yeah.
00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:18.319
That's what's it like?
00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:19.680
Is it overwhelming or oh yeah.
00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:28.079
I mean, you just walk in and there's like seven triple sevens across that wall, you know, and that wall is you know, a mile or three-fourths of a mile that way, a mile that way.
00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:34.400
They get around in there, they walk or do they use like I mean they're they're typically at particular locations.
00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:39.519
And so we get them, you know, anybody in there, they're they're never making it to the cafeteria.
00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:40.960
It's just too far, right?
00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:41.680
It's too much.
00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:43.440
Yeah, it's a mile just to get to those two.
00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:46.079
So we we put position food trucks outside.
00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:50.960
They online order through best food trucks, and then they get a text when their food is ready.
00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:54.960
So they just they order and they can order the day before too, and then they just start walking.
00:27:55.200 --> 00:28:01.599
Bing, your food is ready, they grab it, they sit down, they eat, and they only get 30-minute breaks, the blue collar guys, and so they're right back on the line.
00:28:01.839 --> 00:28:03.599
So you do that every day out there.
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:11.759
No, uh that for that campus and Everett, we're just doing um two days for standard service at four locations, Tuesdays, Thursdays.
00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:16.559
And then we have a lot of like, hey, we want an ice cream day this day, or we want to feed people this day.
00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.559
So um be popular with the folks.
00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:19.279
Yeah, for sure.
00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:22.400
And we do Charleston as well, and then we do uh Oklahoma City.
00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:23.440
What's the plan?
00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:25.200
And uh just up the road in South Carolina.
00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:26.079
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:27.599
How big is that one by comparison?
00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:28.079
It's big.
00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:29.279
But it's not as big as that.
00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:32.240
The Everett one is like it is in two counties.
00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:33.599
The building crosses two.
00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:34.319
No, no, no.
00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:35.599
The the the campus in campus.
00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:36.480
Yeah, wow.
00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:39.839
I mean my first meeting there, I went to I went to multiple zip code campuses.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:42.880
Yeah, I mean, I went to the place I thought it was supposed to be, and they're like, Oh, you're in the wrong place.
00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:45.680
I had to jump in an Uber and drive 15 minutes to get to the right place.
00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:46.960
And stayed on campus the whole time.
00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:47.759
The whole time.
00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:48.799
Oh, that's insane.
00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:52.160
Um, they sat which one do they manufacture in the South Carolina plant?
00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:53.440
Is it 787s?
00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:55.599
The Dreamliner is coming out of there.
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:56.480
Interesting.
00:28:56.720 --> 00:29:01.920
I have a shirt that's but I bought it in the in the gift store that's like and I wear it when I you know fly on planes.
00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:03.359
And oh, are you with Boeing?
00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:04.559
I'm like, well, I feed them.
00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:05.279
Sort of.
00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:10.000
What what I dare I ask, what else are you working on?
00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:14.000
Like you actually you've been doing, you had done some podcasting since we last talked, didn't you?
00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:15.519
I'd seen a couple of things you did.
00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:16.400
It was really good.
00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:22.880
Yeah, I mean, that the the thing that we're really uh working on is um like informational, right?
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:26.960
So there's a lot of people still getting into the food truck space.
00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:29.200
There's a lot of people that have been in it for a long time.
00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:31.519
Uh the the space ebbs and flows.
00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:34.400
Sometimes it's really catering heavy, sometimes it's event heavy.
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:41.839
So we're just doing our best at Best Food Trucks to just give really, really good information based on now eight years of data.
00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:46.480
You know, when somebody comes to me and they say, Well, I, you know, I'm not getting any of these catering gigs.
00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:49.359
And I'm like, Well, you don't even have any pictures on your menu.
00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:50.480
Oh, what do you mean?
00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:55.119
So, like making sure that they understand, like, shoot the food in in natural light.
00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:56.480
These are the things you should do.
00:29:56.559 --> 00:29:59.200
Like things like that, or things like that.
00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:01.680
I harp on literally every week.
00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:04.960
When you email a customer, have a signature block.
00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:06.559
That makes sense, right?
00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:09.519
Yeah, oh yeah, like I'm the email how to get a hold of you.
00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:16.480
Yeah, just your name, a link to your website, uh, your phone number, any links to any articles about you, your social media.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:23.359
I have a story and I won't say who the client was because I'm not allowed to, but um, it was a massive contract.
00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:25.119
They needed food trucks tomorrow.
00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:31.920
And I put out an email and I said, This is what we need two trucks lunch, two trucks dinner, all food paid for.
00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:36.720
People just walk up and grab food, which means it's gonna be a two to four thousand dollar shift per shift.
00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:40.640
And some trucks got back to me and said, Hey, I'm interested.
00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:42.000
Sent from iPhone.
00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:48.720
And some trucks got back to me and said, This is me, I'm amazing, you know, this is why I'm amazing, this is my food, this is an article written about me.
00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:49.839
Well, who do you think I'm gonna go with?
00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:50.720
Who are you gonna pick?
00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:55.519
How how is so social media must be pretty important in that business, or is it not?
00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:56.000
It is.
00:30:56.079 --> 00:31:02.640
I mean, there, but they're the amount of trucks that rely on social media in a meaningful way is a lot smaller than it used to be.
00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:11.440
And I always tell trucks this you know, at the heyday of the food truck industry in LA, 2009 to 2013, everybody's looking for trucks.
00:31:11.680 --> 00:31:16.000
But at some point it becomes ubiquitous, like it's just becomes like part of the culture.
00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:23.599
And when I say to a guy like, hey, you gotta go check out this food truck, and he's like, Well, food trucks come to my office every day, right?
00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:28.079
So I always say, like February 2010, the first food truck festival.
00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:37.200
5,000 people expected, 16,000 people showed up, fire department stopped 5,000 people from coming, every truck, three-hour lines, absolute mayhem.
00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:40.000
Two years later, food truck festival, nobody showed up.
00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:44.160
And that's because nobody could find a food truck in 2010.
00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:44.880
They were all right.
00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:51.759
By 2012, they were deployed and they were at your office and they were at your park and they were at They're just part of the permanent landscape.
00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:52.160
Yeah.
00:31:52.319 --> 00:31:52.559
Yeah.
00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:53.599
And it's so sad.
00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:54.960
I mean, I it is so sad.
00:31:55.039 --> 00:32:01.519
I I I know a food truck operator, actually, I just had a meeting with him the other day, who had 17 trucks, 16 trucks.
00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:05.759
And um and he was so frustrated by all the unpermitted vendors.
00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:12.000
He basically had a uh health inspector walk by three unpermitted vendors, go on his truck and say, I'm gonna inspect you.
00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:13.440
And he said, You can't inspect me.
00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:14.640
And he said, Why not?
00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:15.839
He says, Because I don't have a permit.
00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:16.720
He says, Yeah, you do.
00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.039
He says, No, I have a permit for all my other trucks, not this one.
00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:20.880
And you're not allowed to inspect me.
00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:25.759
And the guy's like, he's like, uh uh, and he calls the and they're right, right?
00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:37.279
So he has to get off the truck and he and then he went in and said, I did that on purpose to show you how crazy how crazy it is that you'll walk by unpermitted vendors to walk on a permitted truck, and that's why I kept that unpermitted.
00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:52.079
So a lot of the sidewalk vendors uh that are permitted or the food card, food trucks that are permitted, are more frustrated than anybody that they have to compete with groups that have no permit, have no washing, have don't have to have a commissary, don't have to have like equipment.
00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:57.279
Potentially unlimited competition that doesn't have to play by any of the rules.
00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:57.680
Right.
00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:18.880
And so one of the things that I'll be talking about here is um with our app, our and we haven't launched it yet, but we're launching it soon, and you know, any partnership with any health department, with our app, a health um a food truck will be able to take pictures that are marked so that it can be automatically reported to health departments.
00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:20.160
So you that's brilliant.
00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:30.960
Yeah, so your best line of defense, like instead of being at odds with these food trucks that are permitted, they should be your first line of defense because they're gonna tell you faster than anybody or the unpermitted vendors.
00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:32.000
And they are out there.
00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:35.680
And they're out there and they want them, they want it fixed, right?
00:33:35.759 --> 00:33:39.279
They want to be they're compliant, they want everybody to be compliant.
00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:42.160
So yeah, our new system is gonna When are you gonna release that?
00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:42.960
That's really smart.
00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:46.319
Yeah, so that's we're gonna that'll probably release in the next couple months.
00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:49.200
Um when you drop it, will you come back on and show us and talk about it?
00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:49.839
Yeah, sure.
00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:51.119
Come on remote from LA.
00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:55.680
That would be that's gonna be really really helpful.
00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:59.200
Yeah, because like right now, all they can do is really just complain and get frustrated, right?
00:33:59.359 --> 00:33:59.440
Right.
00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:03.440
Giving them a chance to constructively, and it gives the health department the ability to paint a map.
00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:04.960
Yeah, just heat picture of what's out there.
00:34:05.119 --> 00:34:05.920
Yeah, just a heat map.
00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:10.400
So these these things will go in and then it'll all be heat mapped because it's all iPhone, right?
00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:14.719
Um, and then you'll know where your problem problematic areas are.
00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:23.519
And you know, again, I don't want heads cracked, and you know, I don't want crazy enforcement, but like education's your your first step.
00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:27.840
Enforcement is part of that, um, is part of that step.
00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:32.719
And you know, helping vendors that are unpermitted get permitted.
00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:37.360
And I I really believe that, but you can't do any of that until there's some sort of consequence for doing it wrong.
00:34:37.599 --> 00:34:38.000
That's right.
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:39.199
There has to be a rule somewhere.
00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:39.599
Yeah.
00:34:39.760 --> 00:34:44.000
Um, what so what would you because you're like like you're here, right?
00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:46.079
Like you you put it, you put in the work.
00:34:46.239 --> 00:34:51.760
Um, you have a good relationship with regulatory, uh, even if you are a pain to them sometimes.
00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:56.000
LA County probably agrees that, but but they also like you, yeah, right?
00:34:56.079 --> 00:34:58.239
Like because you you're coming from a good place.
00:34:58.320 --> 00:34:59.440
Like they know what you're about.
00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:04.159
What would you tell if somebody's out there they're like dying to start a food cart, they think it's a good business.
00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:14.239
They they think they what are what are this the basic wise advice that you would give to anybody that called you or you know, wanted to join one of your associations or uh groups?
00:35:14.480 --> 00:35:15.199
What do you tell them?
00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:22.400
I mean, obviously email signature, sad that has to be told these days, but like what are just like the basics to have at least a chance?
00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:28.000
Yeah, I mean, I I I always start with you're going into a this business to make money.
00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:38.880
And I have seen so often food truck operators um serve a product, and at the end of the day, the money that they took in, very little of that money went into their pocket.
00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:45.920
And that's just a lack of understanding of like putting together a business plan, uh PL, like just all the things necessary to be successful.
00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:54.400
And what I'll always say is whatever you want to serve, get ready, get in your kitchen, invite 20 of your friends over, and how fast can you get through those 20 friends?
00:35:54.719 --> 00:35:55.440
That's that exactly.
00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:58.159
And so, like making a sandwich, making tacos, whatever it is.
00:35:58.400 --> 00:35:59.360
And you turn it scale.
00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:04.960
Because now on a food truck or a food cart, you have your hour and a half lunch rush, and then you don't have a lot after that.
00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:12.800
So in that hour and a half lunch, can you make enough money at the speed with the menu, all that to actually make a run at it?
00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:19.679
And if you only want to start one food truck, maybe it's not the best idea if you if if you're okay with the income.
00:36:19.760 --> 00:36:26.400
But if you're trying to create something bigger, maybe the second food truck, the uh a food cart, I think that's a really good goal to have.
00:36:26.480 --> 00:36:28.400
But your product has to make you money.
00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:33.519
And I'll I'll just give you a quick um, you know, 2010 pastrami truck.
00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:44.079
They weren't making any money, they couldn't figure it out, they were doing their cost outs, but they were doing their cost outs on a pastrami that was 10 pounds, and then they steamed it for four hours and it was seven and a half pounds.
00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:45.360
So they did the math wrong.
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:46.639
So their pricing was completely odd.
00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:48.639
It'd be at least a 25% increase, right?
00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:54.400
In your because you yeah, and that and that's the fine print on every hamburger was uh post-cooking pre-cooking weight.
00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:54.639
Yeah.
00:36:54.880 --> 00:36:58.320
And so then they had to, they were selling the sandwiches for$5.99.
00:36:58.400 --> 00:36:59.119
They put it up to 10.
00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:01.599
I mean, they just freaked out because they had burned the hole.
00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:05.760
And so it's so important that whatever you're gonna serve, you make money off of.
00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:08.000
Almost every business, know your numbers, right?
00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:08.480
Right.
00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:13.840
But but and then the numbers you have to think about how much is it gonna cost to upkeep your truck?
00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:17.679
How much is it gonna cost to upkeep your um your generator?
00:37:18.320 --> 00:37:22.000
Is your staff, you know, do you have enough room for your staff on the truck so they can all drop together?
00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:25.360
Are you gonna have to pay, you know, help them pay to get to your locations?
00:37:25.519 --> 00:37:26.800
Like there's all these little things.
00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:29.440
And so I try to go over all of that with them.
00:37:29.519 --> 00:37:31.360
That's what the first podcast was about.
00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:32.719
And then what's your mix?
00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:34.400
You want to be more on the street or more catering?
00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:37.440
Well, you always want to do more catering because then you can really control your numbers.
00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:42.239
So uh that's a lot of people, it's it looks simple from the outside, right?
00:37:42.320 --> 00:37:44.639
Oh, just get a cart or a truck and sell food.
00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:46.400
But it's there's a lot to it.
00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:47.519
Yeah, it's a business.
00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:57.920
It's a business, and it's you know, I I always say that there were the pioneers of the LA food truck industry, and the guys that came into it were really, really savvy, and they were you know guys that were chefs.
00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:10.159
And then I said the next round about 2011, they were the gold rushers, and they were just buying like frozen patties and trying to serve, and they had a beautiful looking truck, but they didn't have a very good product, and they kind of washed out really quickly.
00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:15.920
It's interesting in so many professions it's this way the people who do it really well make it look easy, don't they?
00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:21.119
And so that invites the the oh, me too group to come along as well.
00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:22.480
Yeah, wild.
00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:32.000
Yeah, and you know, I mean, you still have to have a brand that looks good, you have to have a pres social media presence, but none of that matters if you're not making money from the burrito that you're selling or the the sandwich you're selling.
00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:33.360
Really, really good advice.
00:38:33.440 --> 00:38:34.559
I can't wait to see the app.
00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:40.159
I've and um that is I know there's a lot of health departments around the country that will embrace it.
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:40.559
Yep.
00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:42.719
Like I mean not everybody's not enforcing.
00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:43.840
Yeah, I know, I know.
00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:50.400
And you know, we're like we just did a full vendor rebuild um to really gamify someone a vendor signs into best food trucks.
00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:53.920
It's like you don't have enough pictures, or you could be making more money if you do this.
00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:58.480
So we really want to gamify that that um that reporting process as well.
00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:04.639
So they're really incentivized to help the local health departments um, you know, do what they need to do.
00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:05.440
Do their job.
00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:06.320
Yeah, it's great.
00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:11.199
I know you got a presentation again, so I don't want to send you to the podium late, but man, thank you so much.
00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:14.400
And um we'll yeah, let us know when the app is out.
00:39:14.719 --> 00:39:18.639
Matt Geller, the food truck guy, so much more than that, though.
00:39:18.719 --> 00:39:20.239
It's good to see you in person.
00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:22.320
Um, so we will let him go.
00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:28.320
And we have a couple more conversations worth to tear down the mobile studio, but uh you enjoyed that as much as I did.
00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:31.280
And um, he broke some news here, Kansas City, LA.
00:39:31.360 --> 00:39:34.559
You got some facts you're not going to read about online, probably for sure.
00:39:34.719 --> 00:39:39.360
So thanks to Matt for all of us here at the Beyond Data Management Podcast, powered by HSGovTech.
00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:40.400
I'm Cameron Garrison.
00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:42.880
We'll be back with you soon with more from Jiha.
