Mobile food trucks were at one point few and far between, but nowadays, most people don’t have to go far to find one. The popularization of these restaurants on wheels is a win-win for both chefs and their patrons: while the culinary-gifted are able to reach a wider audience by taking their treats to the streets, consumers benefit from the convenience of being able to grab an inventive and delicious meal on the go. Shanghai Mobile Kitchen Solutions of Brooklyn, NY, facilitates the growth of this trend by providing custom kitchens and food trucks for entrepreneurs in the Tri-state area.

If you’re going to get started in any business, it’s always helpful to have a little background information about your industry. Here are some interesting tidbits about the origin of today’s mobile food trucks:

• They Date Back To The 19^th Century: While today’s food trucks are certainly far different from mobilized food sellers of the past, the concept actually dates all the way back to the 1860s. A Texan named Charles Goodnight popularized the idea of cooking on the road. He took an Army surplus wagon and fashioned a kitchen on wheels. Cowboys were thrilled by the idea, and so the concept of chuck wagons was born.

• Street Carts Came Next: Throughout the 20^th century, lunch wagons and nighttime food wagons became popular to feed workers throughout the New England area. During the 1950s, many stateside army bases also became home to mobile canteens, which provided soldiers with quick and easy meals.
• Today’s Mobile Food Trucks: The food trucks that people know and love today are often said to have begun with Kogi Korean BBQ food truck, which gained popularity via social media influence back in 2008. Part of its allure stemmed from the fact that it would announce its location on Twitter instead of relying on a fixed location. The truck fused Korean and Mexican cuisine, and to this day, many food trucks still rely on fusions to create a unique and appealing menu.

Mobile food trucks are now making their way to rural and suburban areas in addition to city environments, so there’s never been a better time to get started in the industry. To learn more about how you can start a food truck, call Shanghai Mobile Kitchen Solutions at (800) 253-4815, or visit their website.