The food-truck trend continues to surprise and amuse. Just 10 years ago, culinary connoisseurs likely would’ve scoffed at gourmet food served from a mobile kitchen. But, today, they’re the “it” food trend – especially in favorable climates – and have evolved from an enjoyable hobby to a viable vocation. San Diego resident Jason Swinford took an unusual path to become a food-truck proprietor.
“I used to be a brand-marketing manager for a tech company,” he said. “My lunch hours were often taken up at conferences with limited food options. I thought office-park workers and attendees at such events might enjoy good food options and the food-truck experience.”
And, Swinford’s food truck, Eat at Recess, was born. He traveled to Wisconsin and purchased the 22-ft. Freightliner truck, and retrofitted it as a foodservice vehicle. He said it’s one of about 20 gourmet food trucks in his area. It offers salads with organic ingredients, as well as certified-humane burgers from grass-fed livestock.
Of course, graphics played a vital role in developing his brand. Further, he added “spice” to his visual presentation by incorporating a 46-in. NEC Display Solutions X461HB LCD screen. The screen serves several purposes: it displays QR codes that, when uploaded, convey special offers on users’ smartphones; it provides menus and product information, and, when there’s a wait or when customers have downtime to enjoy their food, it’s hooked to an Xbox Kinect game console, where users can play Just Dance 3 and other popular games.
Evolving Design (San Diego) developed the truck’s graphics. Rachel Swinford, the project’s designer (and Jason’s wife), said , “We had to keep in mind his brand’s greatest asset is that he’s driving a moving billboard in high-traffic areas. With his branding experience, we easily collaborated on everything from colors to messaging. We wanted it to appear childlike, without being childish. The ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ hand symbols are a good example.”
Wrap One LLC (Anaheim, CA), a six-year-old, 10-person shop, executed the job. Alex Perez, the shop’s founder, said vehicle wraps represent roughly 60% of the shop’s business. The 650-sq.-ft. wrap was produced in 19 panels using 3M’s Controltac IJ180-10C air-release media, which it printed on a Roland DGA SolJet Pro III XC-540 eco-solvent-ink printer. 3M’s 8519 luster-finish overlaminate was applied with a Ding Tec ProLam laminator.
“Every job has its own challenges,” Perez said. “We’ve wrapped close to 100 food trucks by now, and they all have their own unique quirks, such as weird dimensions or seams. Through our experiences, we’ve created custom templates that make the job easier.”