Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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FOOD TRUCKS ARE ESSENTIAL WHEN LIVING IN THE CITY. ESPECIALLY HERE AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY AND THERE IS A CERTAIN PROTOCOL THAT GOES ALONG WITH THEM. FROM WHERE TO EAT TO HOW TO EAT IT. THESE DO'S AND DONT'S CAN MAKE ANYONE BECOME A FOOD TRUCKING PRO. DO 1. ALWAYS BRING CASH Most food trucks only accept cash from their customers. “I use diamond dollars a lot but when I want to go to a food truck I have to go to the ATM in die Student Center first,” Maxwell Schryver said. 2. BF. WILLING TO TRY NEW THINGS. There is a lot of room for experimentation when it comes to food trucks. The Tot Cart, parked right outside of the Tutdeman Learning Center, has just one thing on the menu - tatcr tots but the diverse selection of tatcr tots available is unique and delicious. From Bacon Egg and Cheese Tots to Chicken Tot Pic, the menu will always have something unique and tasty to try. 3. GET TO KNOW THE WORKERS. “There are only a few workers in each truck which I really like about this business,” Selim Zcka, owner of Sexy Green Truck on 13th and Montgomery said. Because of its small staff size, I illy Ezemaili, owner of Richie’s Lunch Box on 12th and Norris, has formed a bond with her frequent customers. When I haw time I try to find out what their majors are and what they are doing in school. Sometimes we get really friendly and that’s really important to me,” she said. 4. FOLLOW THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Food trucks arc not always in the same location each day, so it is important to stay updated on their social media pages. The Tot Cart posts on their Twitter and Facebook page daily so customers will know where they arc located and what they are serving. Full menus like the Sexy Green Truck's can be found online too. DON’T 1. ALWAYS GO TO THE FOOD TRUCK. Let them come to you. Some food trucks, like Insomnia Cookies located at 13th and Montgomery, deliver right to the doorstep. Insomnia Cookies is open for delivery' until 3:00 in the morning just for those night owls who are craving something sweet. 2. BE AFRAID TO MAKE A MESS. Aside from the few food trucks like the Sexy Green Truck that have scats and tables, there is nowhere to sit and cat. Limited seating can cause messes, but that is part of the experience. Make sure to improvise seating too. “Use anything you can find, like ledges on the sidewalk or tables on another part of campus. Sometimes I even walk and cat on my way to class if I’m in a hurry'.” Schryver said. 3. STICK TO ONE PLACE. The streets of Temple University’s campus arc lined with food trucks and they all have different specialties. From tatcr tots to cookies to sandwiches and more, there is always something different to cat at each one. 4. GO ON WEEKENDS. “We are only open from Monday to Saturday,” Zcka said about the Sexy Green Truck. While it varies from truck to truck, a majority of the other food trucks on campus arc closed on weekends as well. WRITTEN BY SIOBHAN REDOING PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHELBIE PLETZ