How Atlanta’s Food Trucks Weather A Global Pandemic
It has been nearly a full year since the shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic began. Life, as we knew it, was instantly changed. In order to protect the health of our families, or communities, and ourselves, we were asked to stay home and stay away from one another. One of the first and hardest hit industries was the restaurant industry, for which coming together over meals is a cornerstone of their business model. Suddenly faced with indefinite government mandated closures, many restaurants were able to pivot by shifting to takeout and delivery service but a great number have suffered irreparable losses and may never recover.
So, I found myself wondering, how have nontraditional eateries handled the pandemic and all of its casualties? Atlanta has an incredible food truck scene, and pre-COVID it was not uncommon to find them set up at dozens of street festivals around town and weekly food truck days near business districts. Just off of I-75 at the Howell Mill exit is the Food Truck Park which provides permanent residence for various trucks.
Given Atlanta’s pleasant weather in much of the year, it should come as no surprise that food trucks have been popular since they first came onto the scene years ago. In addition to standalone truck concepts, many of the city’s most popular eateries were able to expand their offerings and include catering and outdoor events away from their brick and mortar locations. This mobility and flexibility lends the food truck business an adaptability that in many ways has saved it from the most dire circumstances in the pandemic.
Indeed, the onset of COVID-19 was the beginning of a dire time and there was no end in sight. For many food-based businesses, the verdict was clear: innovate or die. In addition to coming up with new and creative ways to persist despite the challenges at hand, these food trucks have had to adapt to new and ever-changing sanitation and safety protocols set forth by the CDC.
“There was a day last March that we had 31 gigs cancel on us,” said Larry and Emily Johnson, owners of Little Bites Food Truck. “That was not a great day for us. But after about half a day of panic drinking on the couch we said to ourselves, ‘Okay now what,’ and we got a good night’s sleep and first thing the next day started driving around writing down neighborhood names.” They reached out to HOAs and began serving communities full of neighbors desperate to eat something they did not cook themselves. More business opportunities came when they connected with breweries, and the pair hope that the availability of vaccines will lead to a resurgence of festivals this spring.
“It was really a bit of a whim,” explained Jessamine Starr, owner and founder of the Good Food Truck, as she discussed how she first got into the food truck business with her husband 11 years ago. “We were looking for something more stable to do during the last recession.” They both had experience working in kitchens, and they jumped into the endeavor with big ideas and tight wallets. Jessamine says their first five years were particularly challenging, and they made a lot of errors as they learned how to run the business. At the time of its inception, there weren’t even permits available and the public awareness of food trucks was basically nil. In the years since food trucks became a bit of a fad and are now considered to be commonplace.
During the last 6 years Jessamine shifted to exclusively catering business, so when the pandemic hit and events like weddings were quickly canceled, her business also suffered and she says she lost all of her work. “I quickly began a curry dinner delivery on Fridays [and] a monthly pantry box subscription for foraged shelf stable items like jam and pesto sauce. And for my own piece of mind, in May, I opened Ett.”
Ett, a one-of-a-kind dining experience, has made the news and grown a fandom of its own. Jessamine describes it as “my one seat restaurant in the woods.”
This unique solo dining experience features a seasonal meal prepared especially for you, prepared and served at a table overlooking Willeo Creek deep in the woods of Roswell. Bookings are scheduled for Sunday and Monday afternoons and are selected via random drawing on the 20th of each month. Payment is whatever you would like to pay or trade. With zero personal contact and a meal that is plated and covered for you before your arrival, the experience embraces the upside to forced isolation. Ett’s peaceful surrounds, the shade of trees overhead, the sounds of nature, and a creek in which you can dip your toes are certainly markers of a truly innovative dining experience in response to COVID-19.
“The most rewarding part for me was being able to overcome this pandemic in our first year and stay afloat,” said Allan Katzef, owner of Baked Kitchen Food Truck. Allan has dreamed of owning restaurants all over the world since he was a child, and his goal is to support his family and friends with his food truck concept. “Kind of like a way to thank my parents for everything that they have done for me and everything I have put them through.”
The Baked Kitchen concept was actually a senior business project Allan developed while pursuing an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts at The Arts Institute Atlanta. After graduating, he then transformed the idea into a thriving business. When the pandemic hit he had to quickly adapt and adjust his target market as music and food festivals were abruptly canceled. So instead Allan began servicing neighborhood associations as well as setting up outside of businesses that were still operating in their office buildings. Allan says that he learned a lot and looks forward to implementing that knowledge in the years to come.
Good Food Truck, currently focusing on catering gigs only, is known for their vegan and gluten free curries that utilize hyperlocal ingredients, sides that blend Asian influences with southern favorites (such as Black Tea Smoked Collards, Curry Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Beet Apple Chutney), savory waffle cones filled with tasty salads, and international rice krispy treats. They also offer a Pantry Box which comes with 7 seasonal and foraged local goods in each box, typically including pestos, jams, spices, and granola. Don’t miss their Watermelon Snow – a frozen watermelon is shaved down to create delicious and refreshing shaved ice offering a variety of flavors. The watermelon is shaved via pedal cart that utilizes physical effort to produce. It’s a treat AND and experience all in one!
The Little Bites Food Truck menu encapsulates a ‘Something Fun For Everyone’ modus operandi. “We aren't pigeon-holed into a certain type of food like tacos or pizza,” explained Larry and Emily. “We want a variety on the truck at all times and something for the kids to eat too so the whole family can eat with us.” Their signature offerings include dishes such as Philly Cheesesteaks made with cheez whiz (they call it the “traditional Philly way,” though diners can opt for provolone if they prefer), Empanadas, Freedom Fries that are smothered in wing sauce, ranch or bleu cheese, bacon, and onions, and plenty of fried goodies, even decadent Fried Oreos, just to name a few.
Described as ‘stoner munchies with an international twist,’ the Baked Kitchen Food Truck offers mostly sandwiches and quesadillas loaded with indulgent mixes of meats, veggies, and cheeses. An example of their sandwiches is the Motha Clucka which is made with fried chicken, slaw, cheese sauce, ranch, and mango habanero sauce on Texas toast. If you’d prefer a quesadilla, you can try their Big Mac Dilla with ground beef, diced onions, tomatoes, lettuce, Da Sauce, and cheese, or their Carolina Gold Dilla which offers chicken, caramelized onions, ranch, bbq sauce, and cheese.
