Sizzles from the grill meet the challenges of the road in the bustling world of mobile cuisine.
Behind the mouthwatering smells and colorful truck exteriors, there are many unexpected hurdles and a whole lot of relentless dedication.
“When you start a business, don’t think it’s going to be an easy shortcut to make it successful,” Lim Dharmawan, owner of the food truck Happy Tummie, said.
Dharmawan said there are a lot of hard lessons learned when running a food truck and some of them are tough to swallow.
“There’s no shortcut. Nothing. You can be smart … get good grades. But learning experience is different,” Dharmawan said.
Dharmawan spent 30 minutes setting up his truck, Happy Tummie, in the Saratoga Springs tractor supply parking lot. After he set up his truck, Dharmawan received word he had to move it because of a permit mix-up.
“It’s best to have all your ducks in a row with legal documentation … especially when you’re dealing with businesses,” Dharmawan said.
Dharmawan emphasized the importance of doing paperwork as well.
“What a tough business,” Larry Johnson, a first time customer who watched Dharmawan move his food truck, said.
Despite the apparent convenience of food trucks, it isn’t as easy as it looks.
