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NRF convention attendees brave the cold for lunch at Food Truck Alley

NRF Big Show attendees got a chance to taste local food truck fare at lunchtime in an area designated as Food Truck Alley. Many attendees braved the cold to sample the culinary variety.

NRF attendees brave the cold at Food Truck Alley in New York City.

January 16, 2019 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Attendees at this week's NRF Big Show at the Javits Center in New York City had the option of grabbing lunch from food trucks parked outside of the South Concourse in an area designated as Food Truck Alley.

The five food trucks stayed busy throughout the hour-and-a-half lunch period, as many show attendees braved the cold for a chance to taste the varied offerings. Trucks offered pizza, Mexican fare, cheese steak, mac 'n' cheese and Asian flavors.

Some attendees who came outside for the trucks said they were able to get served faster there because of the long lines at the convention center's indoor food court and restaurants.

All five trucks — Phil's Steaks, El Toro Rojo, Abeetzny, Mac Truck and Big D's Grub Truck — belong to the New York Food Truck Association, which coordinated the event with Centerplate, the foodservice contractor for Javits Center.

Phil's Steaks stayed busy serving Philadelphia cheesesteaks during the NRF Big Show.

Ben Goldberg, president of the New York Food Truck Association, told Food Truck Operator that Centerplate selected the trucks, all of which had served previously at Javits, to provide a variety of menu offerings.

Goldberg did not wish to reveal the revenue arrangement between the food trucks and the venue. He said that while the association's main objective is to provide regulatory advocacy for food trucks, "Our goal is also to bring different revenue streams for the trucks."

El Toro Rojo had steady traffic for its Mexican offerings.

On Sunday, the first day of the three-day trade show, Phil's Steaks and El Toro Rojo had the longest and second-longest lines, respectively, early in the lunch period. All five trucks stayed busy through lunchtime, though.

Phil's Steaks bills itself as "NYC's 1st Authentic Philly Cheesesteak Truck Jawn ("jawn" is Philly slang for "joint" and is used by Philadelphians to refer to "anything and everything," according to Urban Dictionary.)

Patrons wait for pizza at the Abeetzny truck.

The truck serves 100 percent premium loin-tail beef on Amoroso rolls from Philadelphia, according to its website. The menu included Whiz Steak, Pepper Steak, Shroom Steak, and The Wilson (vegetarian). Sandwiches cost $13 and $14; fries were $6 and chips were $3.

El Toro Rojo featured Mexican cuisine, including tacos and burritos, burrito and fajita bowls, nachos and quesadillas. Prices ranged from $4 to $13.

Mac Truck served mac 'n' cheese offerings.

Abeetzny served 12-inch personal pan style pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven. Offerings included Classic, Mutzie (fresh mozzarella, sauce and basil), Roni (pepperoni), Sawzeech (crumbled sweet sausage, spicy pickled chiles, mozzarella and sauce), White Beater (goat cheese, ricotta, mozzarella and spicy honey) and Davey Boy (mozzarella, sauce, black olives and mushrooms.) Prices ranged from $7 to $15.

A customer pays for his order at Big D's Grub Truck.

Mac Truck, which bills itself as "NYC's Mac and Cheese Truck," served mac 'n' cheese, buffalo chicken Mac, BBQ pulled pork, bacon mac 'n' cheese and fried mac bites. Most items were priced at $12.

Big D's Grub Truck featured food with flavors influenced by Guyana, China and the American South. The menu included grinders, tacos, rice platters, spicy or ginger chicken, spicy pork, and bulgogi, a lean beef marinated in soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil and served with kimchi purée, scallion relish and crema. Most items were priced at $14.

About Elliot Maras

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Elliot Maras is the editor of Kiosk Marketplace and Vending Times. He brings three decades covering unattended retail and commercial foodservice.