The Sydney food truck initiative currently has two trucks out of a planned ten operating. Credit: City of Sydney

A new business initiative
that serves up cuisine delights from trucks is adding flavour to the busy
streets of the Sydney, writes Gina Baldassarre.

After 12 years on the beat in Sydney’s Newtown and inner west, Attila Yilmaz feels right at home making tacos
for a living. The warehouse where he’s putting his truck together looks like a scene from a Mexican village. The colour scheme is comprised of deep reds and browns; the ceiling has been stripped back to reveal wooden beams from which dozens of lights have been hung, and little round tables surround a small wooden stage set up against the wall.

Mr Yilmaz, a former policeman of Turkish origin, is the founder of the Al Carbon Taco Truck, one of ten food trucks rolling onto Sydney streets as part of a City of Sydney’s Council initiative. And his desire to create a unique blend of authentic Mexican cuisine on wheels might be in his blood.

“I was born into it,” he says. “My parents divorced when I was very young, and dad was a single parent raising two kids. He couldn’t work full time, so he started one of the first kebab vans in Canberra in the early 80s.”

Al Carbon Tacos had been in the planning stages for five years before the council announced its food truck trial initiative in 2011 after receiving feedback from the public about its culinary needs. The project comes as the food truck industry around the world finds itself in a boom, particularly in the United States.

Inspired by the growth in food trucks overseas, Yilmaz says that he was prepared to “cop all fines” and to be a “renegade” before he heard about the initiative.

“The street food culture plays an important part in a country’s identity, ” says Yilmaz. “I’ve always thought it’s a real shame that as a diverse multicultural society, we really don’t have a street food scene to speak of.”

In 2011, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation found that over 2.5 billion people globally eat street food daily. Food trucks help keep pushing up that number. And the food truck culture has grown through operators harnessing the power of Twitter, with individual trucks tweeting their location each day to let followers know where to find them.

Likewise, the Sydney trucks will be roaming the CBD streets and stationing themselves in different locations every night. As well as most trucks being on Twitter, the council is developing a smartphone truck-tracking app for consumers. The added infusion between technology and consumers means that there is a greater array of choice on the market.

Kyle Johnson, who created the popular Los Angeles truck-tracking website findlafoodtrucks.com in 2009, has been a keen observer of the growth of the food truck culture and its role in the economy. He believes the global economy can benefit greatly from these small enterprises.

“Food trucks have contributed more choice in dining options around the city, which has been met with open arms by consumers. They have also lowered the barrier of entry for chefs wanting to open their own business,” he says.

“Many food truck operators have gone on to open up brick and mortar restaurants as a result of their success with a truck. Food gourmet food truck culture should be promoted in every city. Food trucks are restaurant
incubators.”

Stephane Chevassus, a Frenchman who operates the Urban Pasta truck in Sydney says that his one gripe with the city, which he has been calling home for seven years, is its lack of nightlife compared to other places around the
world. Chevassus hopes that the food truck initiative will encourage existing businesses to stay open later.

“The first thing I noticed in Sydney is that restaurants and cafes close really early. And that’s a real drawback for the city,” he says.

Another drawback is the negative effect that cities like Sydney face at night. Ex-cop Yilmaz predicts that the council may have also found a way to curb antisocial behaviour and to monitor crime.

“There are so many beautiful parks and so public spaces in this city that are considered no go zones at night time,” he says. “Although having trucks there wouldn’t solve crime, it would displace it. I think it’s a great crime prevention and deterrent.”

Worldwide, food trucks have received great praise for not only meeting with consumer need for great food, but also offering flexible ways for communities to support each other.

Hop Phan, founder of the Dos Chinos Latino-Asian fusion truck in California’s Orange County, has experienced what positive effects food trucks can have on communities first-hand. He says part of the attraction to having a food truck is moving from place to place and creating a real presence in the community.

“I helped put together a series of fundraisers for Fullerton Union High School that raised $15 000 in 2011. We are constantly doing more of them for a variety of schools here in southern California,” he says.

“I helped put together a series of fundraisers for Fullerton Union High School that raised $15 000 in 2011. We are constantly doing more of them for a variety of schools here in southern California,” he says.

“Part of the attraction of me joining the police was the outdoors. It was a different job and people every day. I love the idea of being able to travel and be in other locations and times, but still provide the same great food,” he says.

When the City of Sydney council started selecting trucks, the competition was fierce, with only ten chosen. The hopefuls were pitted against each other in a Masterchef-style cook-off that was judged by both council officials and
food industry insiders.

Though their level of excitement is tangible, both Yilmaz and Chevassus admit it’s been a struggle to get where they are today, just a few weeks out from the launches of their trucks.

“I really didn’t expect to make the final 10, and when I did and I was just ecstatic. I’m in tears just thinking about it, it’s a big deal for me,” Yilmaz says.

Financing the trucks hasn’t been an easy ride either.

Last year, social media website Mashable estimated that buying and equipping a new food truck in the United States can cost up to $75,000.While costs locally aren’t expected to be as high in a smaller market in Australia, finance is still very much a concern for the vendors involved.

Last year, social media website Mashable estimated that buying and equipping a new food truck in the United States can cost up to $75,000.While costs locally aren’t expected to be as high in a smaller market in Australia, finance is still very much a concern for the vendors involved.

For Yilmaz, who has not been working another job as he puts his truck together, the pressure is on to succeed.

“It’s been a tough road. Not working, no money coming in, this is purely from our savings. So that’s stressful because we need it to work otherwise we’ve got nothing left, ”he says.

For any people who may be wary of eating food cooked on a truck in a city street, have no fear – the operators have been hard at work making sure their trucks comply with health regulations.

“It’s not like the roach coaches of the old days,” Yilmaz says with a laugh.

Indeed it’s not. Trucks will have a four-hour trading window at each location, a rule made to allow for staff toilet breaks. The short trading window aside, it seems Sydney’s tastebuds are in for a wild ride.

Cenk Baban, an online marketing guru behind the @sydneyfoodtruck Twitter account, which tracks news and reviews about the trucks, says that he believes the council has hit the right note with the project, which in his view
is capable of bringing a diverse range of people in the community together, building on existing relationships with organisations and charities.

“[The trucks] will compliment the atmosphere in other Sydney events, and even create their own events. These operators are great people with their own ideas, he says.

“They’ll end up creating new experiences around their food.”

The 10 trucks:

• Agape (@AgapeOrganic) – An off-shoot of the Agape restaurant and bar, the truck will be serving all things organic.
• Al Carbon (@AlCarbonTacos) – Tacos cooked over charcoal to lend them an authentic Mexican flavour.
• Bite Sized Delights – Maltese pastizzi served with a range of different fillings, including spinach and ricotta.
• Urban Pasta (@UrbanPasta) – A variety of pastas served with delicious slow-cooked sauces.
• Cantina Mobil (@CantinaMobil) – More Mexican cuisine, served with non-alcoholic sangria.
• Eat Art Truck (@EatArtTruck) – Barbecue-inspired food served from a truck that doubles as a canvas for artists.
• Let’s Do Yum Cha – Authentic Chinese yum cha, including pork buns and dumplings.
• Taco Truck – A Melbourne import, serving – as the name implies – tacos.
• Tsuru (@TsuruFoodTruck) – A mix of Asian street food, such as Japanese rice balls and Chinese half-moon buns.
• Veggie Patch (@VeggiePatchVan) – Never fear, vegetarians! Veggie Patch has got you covered with tofu burgers and other delicious treats.