Food Trucks Struggling During Pandemic Head To The Suburbs
BOSTON (CBS) - Mary McPartland started her Frozen Hoagies food truck in 2011. Now, she's facing a year like no other.
"This year the trucks are not out. I have three trucks, this is the only one that's out. I usually do downtown Boston and our spots downtown-- there's no people so there's no sense in going to them." McPartland said. "I've lost probably 80 to 90 percent of my business on the trucks, at least."
It's a problem many food trucks are facing- the lack of foot traffic they are used to. So, they're heading to the suburbs through the Neighborhood StrEATs program.
Anne-Marie Aigner, Founder and President of Food Truck Festivals of America, helped come up with the idea in March and launched the program in April.
Aigner explained, "the only thing that we can do is bring the food to where the people are. The people aren't going to be coming to festivals anymore- not for a long time, so in the meantime, we're bringing the food to where people are- in their homes."
Through Neighborhood StrEATs you can become an ambassador and request to have food trucks- like Frozen Hoagies- come right to your neighborhood.
Aigner added, "anybody who eats is the clientele. Everyone who doesn't want to go out every night is the clientele. And honestly anybody who really wants to support small businesses."
"Neighborhood StrEATs has been very good," McPartland said. "We have an app that they set up for us and we make our menu. We have choices on it. The people can order whatever they want, and they can pick a time that they can pick it up."
McPartland said she stops by different neighborhoods 4-5 times a week, offering a lifeline for her business in an otherwise very difficult time.
For information on Neighborhood StrEATs and to request a food truck in your neighborhood, visit: www.foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com/streats
