COVID-19 Outbreak (Update: More than 2.9M cases and 132,313 deaths in US) (18 Viewers)

[guidomerkinsrules]

Right when this mess started my mother and I went to get some tacos from the taco truck... after I ordered and paid I heard and saw the guy sneeze right in the direction of the grill and food... I thought to myself then, if there is a place where a virus would run rampant, it would be inside of a food truck... we left and never got our food.

Somebody could do that in any sort of environment
When food trucks first became a mainstream thing, I had read that they are much easier to clean/maintain than restaurants
If nothing else cleaning after 2 people vs 10 minimum at a restaurant is a win

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I don't think they are allowed to be moving while they have the gas and cooking equipment on. I'm sure there are many safety regulations regarding how they have to operate as far as being locked down before they can turn on gas, take out knives, etc. Plus, it's probably not practical or cost effective to use the truck to deliver stuff.

That being said, it seems they would be set up for just parking someplace and then delivering using other vehicles. But, I guess it's hard for them to pick a location where people would know they were or get people their contact info. Although I would think some of the more popular local trucks could probably do it through Twitter, etc.

Just get an app
- if people can find imaginary Pokémon, I’m sure that can find a food truck

 

[AARPSaint]

From what I understand there are still some potential problems with anti-body treatments, but this would be good news if it holds up:

California biopharmaceutical company claims coronavirus antibody breakthrough

That's the same link JoeOKC posted. Seems promising.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

That's the same link JoeOKC posted. Seems promising.

Oops... missed that. It would be great to have a treatment for this. It would still be months away from being readily available, but that would mean it would be here for the potential fall surge.

 

[St. Widge]

Somebody could do that in any sort of environment
When food trucks first became a mainstream thing, I had read that they are much easier to clean/maintain than restaurants
If nothing else cleaning after 2 people vs 10 minimum at a restaurant is a win

It think they are easier to clean and it's defacto outdoor "seating" so that works too. But I think the issue is for them to get in a location where there is enough people and let those people know they are there. It works in busy downtown areas or around beaches, concerts, strips of bars, etc. because people are out and see them. But it's going to be hard for it to work when people are decentralized like they are now.

 

[superchuck500]

Regarding restaurants and such: Wouldn't you think food trucks would be more popular now? Maybe there are restrictive laws here in West St. Tammany, but I would think food trucks would be able to flourish in this gradual re-opening.

This story from Ohio makes sense to me--

Food trucks businesses booming during COVID-19

As restaurants adapt to carryout only, food truck owners, who specialize in "to-go" are reporting business is thriving despite COVID-19.

www.13abc.com

Some cities, like Oakland, aren't allowing them at all for the time being. But as the country gradually re-opens, food trucks seem a good investment.

Our neighborhood club has food trucks two nights a week. They send out emails with the schedule. Seems to be working well.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

It think they are easier to clean and it's defacto outdoor "seating" so that works too. But I think the issue is for them to get in a location where there is enough people and let those people know they are there. It works in busy downtown areas or around beaches, concerts, strips of bars, etc. because people are out and see them. But it's going to be hard for it to work when people are decentralized like they are now.

In the scenario I see (whether door to door or parked), people have ordered ahead of time, so pickup location is predetermined

I just passed a corner on Freret (across from Dat Dog) and people were lived down the block (6ft apart) picking up a crate of veggies from the back of a truck

 

[St. Widge]

From what I understand there are still some potential problems with anti-body treatments, but this would be good news if it holds up:

California biopharmaceutical company claims coronavirus antibody breakthrough

It would be great. But, I'm a bit skeptical that the guy from the company that developed it says it's "100% effective." That seems like a really bold claim for something that hasn't gone through drug trials or any rigorous testing. Especially considering that not many medical treatments are 100% effective. But, hopefully he is right.

 

[St. Widge]

In the scenario I see (whether door to door or parked), people have ordered ahead of time, so pickup location is predetermined

I just passed a corner on Freret (across from Dat Dog) and people were lived down the block (6ft apart) picking up a crate of veggies from the back of a truck

That could work. But the trucks would need to get the word out on social media probably. Which should work for the popular trucks that already have a following.

 

[B4YOU]

Regarding restaurants and such: Wouldn't you think food trucks would be more popular now? Maybe there are restrictive laws here in West St. Tammany, but I would think food trucks would be able to flourish in this gradual re-opening.

This story from Ohio makes sense to me--

Food trucks businesses booming during COVID-19

As restaurants adapt to carryout only, food truck owners, who specialize in "to-go" are reporting business is thriving despite COVID-19.

www.13abc.com

Some cities, like Oakland, aren't allowing them at all for the time being. But as the country gradually re-opens, food trucks seem a good investment.

Your market may vary: Food trucks usually rely on office buildings and attractions for customers. Both are empty. Short term, most will see reduced sales. Those with social media followings who park along walking trails and outdoor amenities that are not closed, may do well. Those with the smarts to contact condo buildings for lunch events, will do well. Some restaurants are going to downsize. Trucks could see a jump in food quality as more restaurants move from brick and mortar to trucks. Some markets were already saturated with trucks. The restaurant industry is going to push for expanded seating. Industry will ask about closing streets in food corridors to allow tables to take the entire sidewalk for more distancing with more guests. That may be a solution for the "we can't make money at 25% capacity" complaints.

I am not a fan of eating off of food trucks. I've closed too many.

 

[SaintsFanInLA]

Right when this mess started my mother and I went to get some tacos from the taco truck... after I ordered and paid I heard and saw the guy sneeze right in the direction of the grill and food... I thought to myself then, if there is a place where a virus would run rampant, it would be inside of a food truck... we left and never got our food.

This is EXACTLY my thought process. If the cook in a food truck has a respiratory infection, and he serves 100-200 people per day, just imagine 15% of those people get the infection; that's 15-30 people. But chances are it would be A LOT of people infected.

And I am not a virologist but if the truck is relatively small and the cook has it, the viral load in that truck would seem to be high.

 

[FootballLady]

This is EXACTLY my thought process. If the cook in a food truck has a respiratory infection, and he serves 100-200 people per day, just imagine 15% of those people get the infection; that's 15-30 people. But chances are it would be A LOT of people infected.

And I am not a virologist but if the truck is relatively small and the cook has it, the viral load in that truck would seem to be high.

Obviously it would have to come with aggressive testing of employees.

 

[SoggyBottomBoy]

My wife just got back from making a deposit at Hancock Whitney here in Lafayette. Said the traffic was back to pre-pandemic levels. She was very frustrated (to put it mildly) when she returned. At the bank they had an employee outside to facilitate moving the drive through process in quicker fashion. Good idea. Except that the employee was going right up to each vehicle (no mask) and exchanging a pen and materials with customers. She was tending to those that just had deposits to make. She'd walk the materials into the bank and come back with a receipt. My wife opened a very narrow gap in the window when she was approached. While handing the checks to deposit, my wife asked if she should be wearing a mask. Her reply as she tapped her pocket (indicating she had one) was "On Monday we'll be required to wear one" and walked away to make the transaction.

My wife had to fight the urge to go full-blown Karen on HW Bank. But the day ain't over yet.

 

[SaintsFanInLA]

Obviously it would have to come with aggressive testing of employees.

It would seem that in order for that to be effective, the testing would have to be daily. How long does it take for someone to contract the virus? Not long. And a one-time test or even a weekly test doesn't ensure that people/cooks don't have it and aren't trasnmitting it wildly.

 

[BooBirdSaint]

I think that there is a general assumption that food trucks are islands unto themselves. I beleive that this is a bit off. In fact most trucks use common rental or commissary kitchens for food prep. These kitchens are often shared with many other trucks or ventures. So the food you are eating off the truck is likely prepared at some other location and not on the truck. Yes your Taco is built on the truck but the components were likely cooked elsewhere.
I'm not saying that trucks are better or worse from a virus spread standpoint. But I am saying there is a whole operation that you never see or even know about where the cooking of the whatever you are eating takes place.
If you are feeding 40 people a truck is fine but they carry neither the supplies nor ability to feed 100's people effectively 3 meals a day after day.

Are Food Trucks Worse for the Environment Than Storefronts?

It's not easy to compare them, but we're giving it a shot.

www.citylab.com

Here is a link to a story a friend of mine used to decide on a store vs a truck. You can scale a store but you cannot scale a truck.