Despite the peak in visitors, food truck operators earned less this year

Consumption at this year’s Food Truck Shows has normalized compared to previous years, but this is primarily due to the outstanding number of visitors, according to the organizers. Spending per person is still much more restrained than a few years ago, and visitors are now much more conscious of what they spend their money on. The advantage of this is that significantly less food ends up in the trash, but while in the past guests would try several dishes during a walk, today they choose only one dish after the second round.

Dishes that are unusual or particularly hearty continued to perform well on the product popularity list, even if they do not fall into the cheap category. At the same time, according to the organizers, it is increasingly important whether a stand offers an entry course for under 3,000 forints. Experience has shown that where a dish for 2,900 forints is also on the menu, many more visitors stop by. They may not ultimately choose this cheapest option, but they prefer to stay there, get in line, and eventually spend money.

The biggest change in the consumption structure is seen in the drinks market. While many people can no longer afford larger or more substantial meals, drinks remain the cheapest and most accessible consumer item at events, so this is where the biggest growth is being seen.

“The increase in the number of drinks also confirmed our experience that people want to participate in these types of gastronomic events, but many cannot spend more than the cheapest product at the event costs. For example, 140,000 people turned up at this year’s car-free day on Vámház Boulevard, but consumption remained particularly low compared to the size of the crowd. Experience shows that a few years ago an average family of five took home three or four portions, but this year they could not afford more than two or three. Nevertheless, the increase in the number of visitors at free events somewhat compensated for the turnover of traders – he said Zoltán Horváth, one of the main organizers of the Food Truck Shows and the president of the Hungarian Street Food Association.

The most popular churros vendor served 50 kilometers of churros at events this year, which is equivalent to 125 laps of an athletics track, yet they experienced a 10 percent decline compared to the previous year. In contrast, the most active BBQ truck grilled and sold 3.5 tons of meat, and although this is one of the most expensive genres, they still achieved a 10 percent increase.

One ​​of the most successful burger vendors sold 57,500 burgers, consuming 8,050 kilograms, or nearly eight tons, of Angus beef – they also experienced a decline compared to the previous year. Interestingly, they shared that for this many burgers, 865 liters of ketchup, 1.15 tons of cheddar cheese, three tons of onions and 800 kilograms of cucumbers were consumed this year. The number of French fries served was 28,500, which means a total of 7.2 tons of fries.

There are big differences in the performance of the traders, and it matters a lot who works with what equipment, technology and routine. Experienced entrepreneurs can excel because they are prepared for the fact that guests arrive in waves and a large crowd has to be served in a short time– added Zoltán Horváth, one of the main organizers of the Food Truck Shows and the president of the Hungarian Street Food Association.

According to the Street Food Association, festival outings still involve a greater risk than before, but they provide the best opportunity for the trucks to introduce their offerings to the public. Experience has shown that after almost every such event, the Food Truck Show organizers receive a new request for corporate catering events, the number of which has declined in recent years. after which it has now started to grow again.