For the next several post I will be writing a series which digs deep in to the history of the food truck industry. The mobile food concept has roots which dig back in to the Greek and Roman times. With that being said it should be of no surprise to know that street food wasn’t always delivered on a renovated FedEx truck. The food truck’s old ancestor is simply the good old fashioned push cart. Here is a bit of history behind what brought you your favorite taco truck.
Roman Hunger
In the beginning, God created……the food cart and the Romans loved it. Mobile dining or “street food” was widely practiced by people of all social status in the Roman era. It has been said that these vendors would feed spectators and soldiers at the Colosseum. They were also found in local market places. This also lead the way for popina,thermopoliums and taverns .
Medieval Gluttony
During medieval times crowds would gather at medieval festivals in search for food and entertainment. Hot pies, pretzels and other food that would be taken home were usually served at these stands. Most stands had food that wouldn’t normally be found outside of these festivals so food carts were extremely popular for their limited time treats!
United States-1600’s
As we fast forward to the 1600’s we see the beginning of street food in the “New World” that is now the United States. It started specifically in New Amsterdam, now known as New York City. In 1691 New Amsterdam began regulating street vendors thus creating an attractive new occupation for many immigrants who couldn’t seem to find a part to play in this new country. It is said that by the end of the century there is estimated to have been up to 25,000 vendors in Manhattan alone.
All Aboard
With the coming of the train era came the vast need for more food carts in order to feed travelers. They used carts on board and off. The vendors mainly catered to poorer passengers who couldnt afford to stay in the hotels and dine inside. These same carts would also be used to feed the very men who would build the railroad tracks as well.
Chuck and the Dog Wagon
In 1866 a former Texas Ranger by the name of Charles Goodnight took the food cart to another level by inventing the Chuck Wagon. At the time this was the closest food cart that resembles our modern day food trucks. It’s patrons were mainly cowboys and wagon trains. This helped push the food cart concept further west and by the 1890’s there were sausage vendors outside of universities. These were the first “dog wagons” which are the grandfathers of the modern day hotdog cart.
Oh I wish I was…..
In 1926, Frances E. Coffey came up with the closest design yet to the modern day hot dog cart. After that, in 1936 Oscar Meyer came out with the first weiner mobile which became the first portable hot dog cart to actually roll out.
Stay tuned for the next episode of “The History of Food Trucks”. Follow, share, like and comment! Let me know if you feel that I missed anything. Thank you everyone.
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