Michael Who would have thought that the internet would revolutionize the American equivalent of the mobile currywurst stand, the so-called "food truck"? Until a few years ago, street vendors with their carts and delivery vans were waiting at specific locations, street corners that they had sometimes fought for generations ago and had since been firmly in their hands. The very well-made movie Man Push Cart provides valuable insights into the little-noticed but fascinating world of street cart vendors.
Young upstarts with new business ideas have a hard time in this field because the unwritten law of the urban jungle forbids them from snatching the established spots from the old-timers. But if no one knows about a new cart and the delicacies offered there, how is the business ever supposed to be thriving?
Ever since Twitter has been around, the food cart world has been turned upside down. Now, the cart operators simply stop at a random location, fires up the grill, and sends out a tweet. People who follow the Twitter feed on their phones now know when the sausage stand is nearby and spontaneously drop by to grab an exotic treat for lunch instead of boring company cafeteria food.
The Korean Kalbi-Truck is such an example. Operated by resourceful immigrants who have recognized the taste of the adventurous software hipster scene, it occasionally stops near the Yahoo buildings in Silicon Valley, and people flock there in droves. Even the conservative Wall Street Journal recently published an article about the upheaval in the food cart industry Next to the Mexican taco truck (Rundbrief 08/2007), the veteran of the Californian food truck industry, nowadays there's newcomers offering the French dessert Creme Brulee, which I also appreciate. Thank you, dedicated young entrepreneurs!
Recently, another truck showed up at Yahoo, delivering sandwiches from nearby restaurants. This service is also operated by young entrepreneurs. The "Mealdonkey"-Service operates a website where hungry individuals can order their lunch sandwich from nearby restaurants, and then pick it up at noon from a delivery van parked around the corner. People come up with the most interesting ideas! Undoubtedly, just another milestone on the long journey from dishwasher to millionaire.
Greetings from the land of unlimited possibilities:
Angelika & Michael