Go Back   Winnipesaukee Forum > Winnipesaukee Forums > Restaurant Information & Reviews
Home Forums Gallery Webcams Blogs YouTube Channel Classifieds Calendar Register FAQDonate Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-19-2019, 12:52 PM   #1
Mr. V
Senior Member
 
Mr. V's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton
Posts: 1,319
Thanks: 61
Thanked 234 Times in 158 Posts
Default Food carts: wave of the future?

Some say that trends and new ideas sometimes originate out west and spread east.

I wonder whether the ever-popular food carts will become as big a component of the NH dining scene as they now are in Portland, Oregon?

Typically people convert a tow-behind-your-truck travel trailer / camper into a portable kitchen / pantry and prepare and sell food from it: certainly keeps the overhead down and allows folks to go into business on a shoe string.

Brick and mortar restaurant owners don't like them, for obvious reasons, but they are increasingly popular.

Many cluster together into "pods" such that you'll find groupings of ten or more different vendors side by side with many different types of cuisine for customers to choose from; many cart owners provide some form of informal seating for customers, at least if space is available.

Most of the offerings are of surprisingly good quality.

Given the difficulty in finding employees willing to work in the food industry in the lakes region I wouldn't be surprised to see food carts in your future, provided local zoning laws allow them.

__________________
basking in the benign indifference of the universe
Mr. V is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 11:10 AM   #2
bruinsfan
Senior Member
 
bruinsfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: NH
Posts: 146
Thanks: 88
Thanked 73 Times in 34 Posts
Default

I hope not. Not in the mood for that urban, third world feel up here; kind of why i choose to live up here.
bruinsfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 11:13 AM   #3
joey2665
Senior Member
 
joey2665's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Meredith Bay & LI, NY
Posts: 3,220
Thanks: 1,204
Thanked 1,007 Times in 648 Posts
Default

Good for bike week fairs and festivals but I wouldn’t want them to be an everyday fixture


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app
joey2665 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 12:10 PM   #4
mneck1814
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Hartford, VT/Moultonborough
Posts: 95
Thanks: 25
Thanked 60 Times in 22 Posts
Default

Over here in the western part of the state, the Upper Valley has at least a dozen food trucks that circulate between Hanover, Lebanon and White River Junction, VT at lunch time. My office is on Colburn Park in downtown Lebanon and we have 3-5 food trucks to pick from for lunch on any given day.

The City of Lebanon has dedicated a specific spot along the west side of the park where the trucks can park to keep things organized. Most of the trucks also hit the farmers' market circuit or town band concerts in the evenings.

A couple of the food trucks were so successful they have graduated to brick and mortar locations in Lebanon and White River.

Overall, I would say the community response has been extremely positive. Several of the Upper Valley towns also host food truck festivals throughout the summer. The trucks have been extremely popular with Dartmouth students, too.
mneck1814 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 12:41 PM   #5
iw8surf
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 191
Thanks: 12
Thanked 94 Times in 55 Posts
Default

The food trucks of todays millennials is far different from the roach coaches of you baby boomers... I grew up with the ABSOLUTLY not would I eat anything off of a truck, now I"ve been shocked with how good some of the food is.

So to the third world country comment? We're talking food trucks not downtown Laconia right?
iw8surf is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to iw8surf For This Useful Post:
TheRoBoat (05-20-2019)
Sponsored Links
Old 05-20-2019, 01:11 PM   #6
kawishiwi
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 519
Thanks: 227
Thanked 167 Times in 108 Posts
Default Huh

Quote:
Originally Posted by bruinsfan View Post
I hope not. Not in the mood for that urban, third world feel up here; kind of why i choose to live up here.
You came up here to get away from...
...food trucks?
__________________
"I don't take responsibility at all."
kawishiwi is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to kawishiwi For This Useful Post:
FlyingScot (05-20-2019), TheRoBoat (05-20-2019)
Old 05-20-2019, 01:28 PM   #7
Biggd
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Waltham Ma./Meredith NH
Posts: 3,733
Thanks: 1,952
Thanked 1,068 Times in 673 Posts
Default

You can't just park those things any where you want. If it's state or town owned land you have to pay them, if you park on private property you have to pay the owner. That's on top of getting a vendors permit. There still is overhead although not as much as a brick and mortar store front.
Biggd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 01:44 PM   #8
Descant
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Merrimack and Welch Island
Posts: 4,003
Thanks: 1,203
Thanked 1,498 Times in 975 Posts
Default the Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival.

The Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Merrimack will be June 14-16 at the Budweiser Brewery in Merrimack. Family friendly ticket pricing0
https://www.google.com/search?q=Grea...&htivrt=events
Descant is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 02:57 PM   #9
Mr. V
Senior Member
 
Mr. V's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton
Posts: 1,319
Thanks: 61
Thanked 234 Times in 158 Posts
Default

Hmmm, it seems you have a "food truck" scene in NH, but no "food carts."

There's a difference: the food carts are not mobile, except when the time comes to relocate: they stay in one spot, typically indefinitely.

I can envision a pod of food carts at the Weirs, sited on private property (hello, Weirs drive in location).
__________________
basking in the benign indifference of the universe
Mr. V is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 04:21 PM   #10
Outdoorsman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 815
Thanks: 113
Thanked 193 Times in 126 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by joey2665 View Post
Good for bike week fairs and festivals but I wouldn’t want them to be an everyday fixture


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app
Don't forget... those BBQ trucks that people rave about are nothing more than a Food Truck.
Outdoorsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 04:30 PM   #11
joey2665
Senior Member
 
joey2665's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Meredith Bay & LI, NY
Posts: 3,220
Thanks: 1,204
Thanked 1,007 Times in 648 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Outdoorsman View Post
Don't forget... those BBQ trucks that people rave about are nothing more than a Food Truck.


Texas Smoke and longhorn are and we’re not food trucks. They sent up on the side of the road on the grass under tents with picnic tables. They weren’t these new type walk up food trucks


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app
joey2665 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to joey2665 For This Useful Post:
tbonies (05-20-2019)
Old 05-20-2019, 04:42 PM   #12
bruinsfan
Senior Member
 
bruinsfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: NH
Posts: 146
Thanks: 88
Thanked 73 Times in 34 Posts
Talking

Quote:
Originally Posted by kawishiwi View Post
You came up here to get away from...
...food trucks?
Yup .... you’ll thank me one day. Lol
bruinsfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 04:43 PM   #13
Outdoorsman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 815
Thanks: 113
Thanked 193 Times in 126 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by joey2665 View Post
Texas Smoke and longhorn are and we’re not food trucks. They sent up on the side of the road on the grass under tents with picnic tables. They weren’t these new type walk up food trucks


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app
Same premise, which is why I stated "nothing more than".
Outdoorsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 04:52 PM   #14
joey2665
Senior Member
 
joey2665's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Meredith Bay & LI, NY
Posts: 3,220
Thanks: 1,204
Thanked 1,007 Times in 648 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Outdoorsman View Post
Same premise, which is why I stated "nothing more than".


Kind of but to me the big difference is they had covered areas to sit and eat where the trucks don’t. Food trucks, at least the one I have seen are more like ice cream trucks just walk up get your food with no place to sit and eat.

But in the end no matter they are both mobile type businesses.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app
joey2665 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-20-2019, 07:27 PM   #15
8gv
Senior Member
 
8gv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,002
Thanks: 61
Thanked 700 Times in 455 Posts
Default

I was a test proctor for the food safety training that is required at most restaurants these days.

I'll bet there are some safe food carts out there but...
8gv is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-21-2019, 01:33 PM   #16
Andromeda321
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 80
Thanks: 17
Thanked 32 Times in 19 Posts
Default

Food trucks as a new concept? Ah, New Hampshire, never change.

Ok seriously now, food trucks/carts are highly dependent on the local regulations by town. They have to have a permit, which dictates what locations they can be in and what kind of food they can prep (typically things that don't need to be actively cooked, like ice cream and hot dogs, get much more leeway). Typically however it is very difficult to make a profit out of a food truck unless you are in a very high traffic area like a university- I haven't been to a campus in North America for decades that didn't have a fleet of food trucks to serve hungry students for example- which the lake doesn't have. Instead, in the majority of the country most food trucks rely on special events like weekend festivals or an invitation to set up somewhere (like a brewery or a pumpkin patch), and only operate those events. Sort of like freelance caterers.

So while I could imagine the Lakes Region getting a few of these, I'm not sure it would be more than a part time/ seasonal business for someone who has space to store the truck when it's not used. The population density is just not really there.

That said, I did eat many a hot dog from the cart by Center Harbor's public beach over the years, so not like they're a completely new thing in the area. I suspect the key is the cooked food vs not designation I mentioned above.
Andromeda321 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-21-2019, 03:08 PM   #17
Outdoorsman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 815
Thanks: 113
Thanked 193 Times in 126 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andromeda321 View Post
Food trucks as a new concept? Ah, New Hampshire, never change.
Are you located on the Wiers BLVD? or along the WOW trail?
Outdoorsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-21-2019, 04:50 PM   #18
jbolty
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 653
Thanks: 312
Thanked 244 Times in 143 Posts
Default

There used to be a guy with a pizza truck around center harbor and surrounding areas. I remember him popping up at the fireworks and the beach and elsewhere once in a while.

trucks don't have property tax like owning a restaurant but you still need a place to park it and store the supplies plus the payment on it is still 12 months a year.

as a customer it's nice to go to some of the gatherings in various areas around the country and sample types of food you might not normally have.
jbolty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-21-2019, 06:24 PM   #19
jazzman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mont Vernon NH & Big Barndoor Island
Posts: 320
Thanks: 4
Thanked 184 Times in 62 Posts
Default

Hot Dog Bob... He seems popular. Not sure what permits he needs, but he spends many summer days on the Wolfeboro docks.
jazzman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-22-2019, 01:08 PM   #20
Andromeda321
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 80
Thanks: 17
Thanked 32 Times in 19 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Outdoorsman View Post
Are you located on the Wiers BLVD? or along the WOW trail?
Huh? I was referring to the original title.
Andromeda321 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:18 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

This page was generated in 0.25176 seconds