Calgary, with its growing entrepreneurial landscape and the emergence of a few food trucks that initially offered locally made sustainable food, quickly became a mecca for innovative food culture.
With the restaurant business being one of the most affected by the COVID pandemic, many people are still fairly reluctant to opt for dine-ins. Given their outdoor setting where one can keep a safe distance from others coupled with the delectable variety of cuisine on offer, the food truck business is still making profits.
As a middle ground between nutrient-deficient fast-food takeout and delectable fine dining, Calgary food trucks remain a popular choice. The phenomenon is also a great way for new neighbours to meet.
Mobile Feast First on the Streets of Calgary
In late 2010, James Boettcher and Brittany Back were inspired to start YYCFoodTrucks as a way to introduce a sense of life to the streets of Calgary while building a sense of comradery in beautiful parts of the city.
Shortly after attending an FFWD Best of Calgary Party, James jumped at the opportunity to pitch the idea to Mayor Naheed Nenshi which got the ball rolling.
In August 2011, James and Brittany’s YYCFoodTrucks were hailed as a major proponent of the birth of the food truck movement in Calgary when Mayor Nenshi launched the pilot project. Calgary kicked off its first food truck frenzy downtown on Stephen Avenue with just eleven trucks which included seven of the original YYCFoodTrucks.
Flavourful Food on the Fly
With bricks and mortar getting expensive to maintain, most food truck owners are lured by the relatively low start-up costs as well as the flexibility and change of scenery that comes with the ability to move around to multiple locations a week.
Though food truckers offer vastly different flavours which suit a variety of different tastes and lifestyles, their goals remain the same; to serve the most delicious, flavourful and where possible, locally sourced seasonal foods to the community of Calgary.
The often quirky names of the trucks usually give one a hint of what’s on offer, whether dedicated to a specific type of food, drink or dessert.
Some gastronomy is self-explanatory as to what one can expect like Burger 320, Fiesta MexiCana Eh or Vegan Street. Others are a little more intriguing like The Peanut Butter Cupboard, which promises unlimited ways to enjoy peanut butter treats whether crunchy, smooth or deep-fried.
There's also Mighty Halifax Donair, which specialises in making Donaire. This is seasoned ground beef rolled into a loaf shape and fried, then served up with tomatoes, onions and a spicy sauce on a pita. A mouth-singing combination of sweet and savoury.
The extent of delectable delights on offer among the various food trucks is truly endless and begs to be tried and tested.
Seeing people in a food truck frenzy can provide an interesting glimpse into the psychology of food. Some food truck operators refer to this as the “line game” where people - bizarrely - head for the longest line. The theory is that if everyone is eating there, then the cuisine on offer must be good.
Several food trucks have now adapted to offer order-ahead options to customers who don’t want to wait in line. This both helps to mitigate large crowds and maintain customer safety during the pandemic. For birthdays, anniversaries and other intimate home celebrations, one can also take advantage of food truck catering services which offer your guests delicious food in an outdoor setting.
Spread the Word
The ever-expanding food truck scene, which exceeds a few hundred trucks today, encourages Calgary’s food culture to continually re-shape itself with innovative menus.
Like many business ventures in the modern world, Calgary food trucks depend on word-of-mouth marketing and social media hype so be sure to share your favourite flavourful finds with friends and family on all your social media platforms.
To continue driving and growing the industry in Calgary, YYCFoodTrucks created a handy food truck app that lets users keep tabs on where food trucks will be stationed each day in relation to a map of the city.
My Foodie Truck is another helpful app to track down your best-loved food truck on the streets of Calgary.
As you can tell, it’s never been easier to satiate any of your food moods all day long, seven days a week. Just follow your nose to a Calgary food truck near you!
