Independent Operators
Seattle food truck operator puts safety front and center with strong mask message
Find out how one food trucker dealt with customers declining to wear masks during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One hint: he didn't back down.
March 29, 2021 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
This month marks the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 hitting hard in the U.S., and while the vaccination effort is well underway, that doesn't mean the pandemic is no longer a challenge to food truck operators.
In fact, one Seattle-based food truck, the Swine and Steel, is dealing with the same issue millions of retailers nationwide have been wrestling with since the coronavirus began spreading — the fact that more than a few consumers won't wear masks despite municipal requirements and the fact nearly half a million U.S. residents have died due to the coronavirus.
The owner of Swine and Steel, who goes by Evan to protect his privacy, believes masks are necessary to keep everyone safe and is delivering that message directly to customers. His goal, he told Food Truck Operator in an email interview, is all about keeping him, his family, his staff and his customers safe.
His first effort was a small sign asking customers to wear masks while ordering and waiting for his truck's pork specialties. It was a simple sign: "No mask, no kindness, no service," and another signed asked guests to wear masks properly (over the nose and mouth).
When that failed — and he found himself having to turn away maskless guests — some who did not respond well to not getting served, he put up a much bigger sign.
This one is six pages of white paper taped together and aims to educate customers on why so-called "reasons" for not wearing a mask aren't legitimate.
The first line on the sign instructs how masks need to go over the mouth and nose, noting "it's been a year and I could potty train a dog faster than this."
In response to guests who claim, "they forgot a mask," the sign directs them to "go get it."
For those customers claiming, "you won't be able to hear me," the sign states "get louder."
And, for customers who claim they can't breathe with a mask, the sign cuts to the chase: "grow up."
So, it's not surprising Swine and Steel's second sign effort went viral extremely fast.
Shortly after being taped to the food truck, news about the sign was tweeted about more than 55,000 times and now has 255,000 likes and those stats continue to climb.
But there has been backlash as well — nasty voicemails and anonymous threatening emails and messages, which is why Evan requested his last name not be used in media coverage about his strong mask-wearing policy.
But he hasn't removed the sign. In fact, he responded with a note on his food truck's website:
"We picked a bad time to become Internet famous…but please still come visit us. We are a small business struggling through these rough COVID times and would love to sell you some BBQ."
His website also offers a unique 'pig-lit' haiku:
My name is Evan
I want to cook you some pork
Seattle food truck.
Evan launched Swine and Steel just a few months before COVID hit in 2020 with a quest to share his love of Southern-inspired cuisine with "Seattle flair." The menu offers specialty pork offerings, from sandwiches and sauces to sides including cheesy jalapeno potatoes (gluten free and vegetarian) and BBQ beans.
"In 2018, I had grown worn out of working desk jobs for the previous 16 years and decided sharing my BBQ with Seattle would be a good move for me," he said in an email interview. "For over a year, I worked on perfecting recipes, learning to cook for hundreds of people at once, and filing what felt like endless paperwork. After I felt like we had the best smoked pork around, we finally had our grand opening October 6, 2019."
Then, just about six months later, COVID-19 hit, and he decided to take a stand in enforcing a mask wearing policy given concern for his family and his customers. He put up the sign after realizing it was becoming a constant request to customers to put on a mask or pull them up over their nose.
"It is truly rare that customers will go on rants or accuse me of taking away their freedom as if I'm the president of the United States passing laws instead of just some food truck cook with a policy for my business," he said.
"But after 480,000 deaths and counting in the US alone, any amount of anti-mask sentiment is too much. Anyone still wearing their mask under their nose as if their nose isn't connected to their lungs needs to do their part to help end this scourge," he added.
Shortly after his second mask sign went viral, his truck had to be taken off the road given collapsing walls. Evan launched a GoFundMe quest aiming to raise $8,450 for needed repair. So far, it's raised nearly $3,000 of the goal — and one big reason is clear in donor messages. Many supporters commend him for his mask policy and for not giving in to non-maskers.
Here are just two donor notes:
Rakhee Parekh : Going viral hopefully helps you get what you need, thank you for standing up for science and human decency. Being considerate is highly underrated right now.
Amy Richardson: I'm not in Seattle but want to thank you for your stand on masking! Hope this helps. I wish I lived closer because I would buy out your truck for my whole COVID outpatient healthcare staff. Sending love from Kentucky
After getting its walls fixed, Swine and Steel is back on the streets, and as its website calendar bookings prove,
the truck is more popular than ever.
Evan and his staff have also launched a clothing line relating to the feedback on his mask policy and the continuing need for masks.
While he downplays the viral sensation his signs have generated, he said he has learned a few lessons in hurdling such a unique business challenge.
"There are a lot more people who believe in science than don't. There are a lot more people who will appreciate you taking a stand for their health (and yours) than don't. There are a lot more people who think wearing a mask is an act of kindness and decency to protect everyone around you than there are selfish people who just can't be inconvenienced," he said.
"Take a stand, be bold, and know that for every customer who hates it, 10 will appreciate it. And if you lose an occasional customer who wants you to risk COVID infection, you will be safer for it, and that's still better for your business."
About Judy Mottl
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