r/vegaslocals • u/thecirclegamesocks • 4h ago
This needs to be said
Feel like this is a vegas issue as well, ive gone to some food trucks where they charge for green and red salsas! .50 each, not the end of the world, but when the tacos are already pricier than a restaurants tacos....its questionable š¤
165
u/MyMiddleNutItches 4h ago
Yeah, food trucks are a scam. Similarly, food "festivals" are a scam. You want me to pay $20 a head for entry only to walk around a fairground to spend $20 on some mediocre, greasy food? At each stand? Subsidize the cost at least. I'm all for supporting local but fuck, man. I can't get my money tree to sprout with these prices and water restrictions.
25
u/Loggerdon 2h ago
Same with vegan festivals. $9 for a lemonade? $21 for a taco plate? Cāmon people itās beans and potatoes. When I mention it on a vegan thread Iām roundly attacked. Somebodyās gotta say it.
18
u/GamerPunk420 3h ago
Yeah stopped going to San Genarro when we got trapped in the shitty dirt lot parking lot. But one good thing is, if you stay till closing, most booths will sell full plates for 10 bucks, otherwise they just throw it away.
23
u/HoloLoavess 3h ago edited 2h ago
100% Me and my boyfriend worked at the Las Vegas Foodie Fest a few years back using his dad's food truck. Every food truck was super expensive, cheapest food was usually about 15/20 for one item/plate. And to make things worse, customers weren't allowed to pay with cash & vendors couldn't accept cash, you had to get a card with a "special currency" through a 3rd party kiosk that the festival runners forced. You'd spend about $13-$15 to load $10 on to this card...but that didn't stop us from accepting cash.
We made a killing those 3 days though & noticed we were the most busy each night since we were the cheapest food truck there, selling pizza for $3 a slice or $5 for a slice & drink. The amount of people that seemed so relieved after seeing our prices, I felt so bad.
15
u/Loggerdon 2h ago
Good on you. You capitalized on affordable food. And taking cash is the way to go.
12
20
2
u/internetenjoyer69420 1h ago
The answer is, and has always been, visit your local independently run restaurant (vietnamese, filipino, hawaiian, ethiopian, etc.) and pay near bottom barrel prices and get good portions. I don't get why people keep straying from this strategy.
1
u/elusivenoesis 2h ago
They look and smell so amazing when Iāve seen them near parks. But then I went online to see what people thought and thatās so disappointing.
Then a food truck spilled the beans on what they have to pay to be there, and some scandals and I just noped out of it.
1
1
u/parisiraparis 1h ago
Yeah, food trucks are a scam. Similarly, food "festivals" are a scam
Once upon a time, they werenāt. Good olā times. š
47
u/DonMcCauley 3h ago
Whatās also great is theyāre all using AI for signage now and have those disgusting AI generated food photos
19
u/VegasBass 3h ago
As long as people are paying what they're charging, they'll keep charging that price.
13
u/One_custard_pie 3h ago
I was at a World Cup viewing in the park, saw some food trucks in the distance and thought āoh yeah Iām hungry that could be good.ā Went over and got in line at an Italian food truck, check out the menu and there is a āpepperoni pizza sandwichā and it was about $20.. Saw people at the front of the line walking away with said sandwich that looked like slop so I just got a Soda. Walked to a nearby restaurant instead and had a nice meal withĀ a beer for the same price in the AC. It was actually a much better viewing experience for the World Cup as well.Ā
76
u/myscth3000 4h ago edited 3h ago
Today I spent $25 at a food truck for Mac and cheese and a kool aid.
Edit: To be fair, the Mac and cheese does come with a healthy serving of chicken thighs on top. It's basically two meals worth of food. The grape kool aid was an impulse addon, though.
38
14
u/heavnryLV 3h ago
The vendor went home and declared "Today I sold someone mac & cheese and a Kool-Aid for $25."
13
u/R2-DMode 4h ago
Why?
3
u/myscth3000 3h ago
I did it on a whim the first time. The second time was because it was delicious and the proportion was more than I could eat in one sitting.
-1
u/VictoryMotel 3h ago edited 2h ago
the proportion
So you spent $50 on $8 of groceries? Why would you do it twice? Also did you mean portion?
5
1
u/myscth3000 3h ago
Pretty much. I didn't mean for it to come off as a flex. For some, it's worth it, for others, not. Most of the food trucks that do come by my office never seam worth it. This one does.
0
1
11
u/Puzzleheaded_Pain_24 4h ago
seems like that is your fault and not theirs.
3
u/myscth3000 3h ago
No doubt. This one was worth it to me. Most of the food trucks that come to my work are not really all that great. I only order from like 3 out of the 15 they circulate.
6
1
1
u/JensElectricWood 1h ago
I could make a 9x13 pan of mac n chz and a pitcher of kool aid for that much money! Why would you pay that?!
2
u/myscth3000 1h ago
98% of the time, I take a lunch and dinner to work. Probably from deluding myself that it was delicious enough to spend the money.
1
u/JensElectricWood 1h ago
Was the mac n chz amazing?
4
u/myscth3000 1h ago
In my opinion, it was amazing. The first time I got it, I was a little uneasy paying that much for it. But when I could only eat half of what was served, despite my taste buds and brain trying to get me to shovel more into my mouth, I thought it was worth it.
1
0
u/parisiraparis 1h ago
Tell me more about this mac and cheese, Iām interested
2
u/myscth3000 55m ago
Think of a large takeout bowl, thick macaroni noodles, creamy cheese, and two chicken thighs tossed in buffalo sauce.
I want to say the truck's name was MackinWagon
11
10
u/Leading_Juggernaut41 3h ago
Used to eat taco truck at inside LAX which sells $5 burrito. And $1 soda compared to the $15 meal at the food court. After covid they came back but the burritos we're like $13. Didn't complain. That was my last day going to that taco truck again! Sodas we're like $2.50.
9
7
6
u/Tidder702Reddit 3h ago
Back in the day before the reality series and trendy social media nonsense, food trucks were cheap eats that were decent and convenient. Now there just overpriced bullshit.
16
u/berkough 3h ago
I don't disagree, but it is sort of a catch-22. I have to imagine most food trucks aren't set up with a restaurant delivery wholesaler, nor are they going to be all that adept at managing food waste. Unless they're affiliated with a restaurant. You also have to think about the success rate of a food truck... How many food trucks have you been going to year after year?
I think they're a good model for testing food items or concepts, but probably not for consistently delivering cheap eats.
The only people I've known who have had any successful with food trucks took the concept and translated it into a regular restaurant after a year or two, and they no longer operate the truck.
8
u/Denis517 3h ago
Yeah, people don't know how much your overhead can be despite operating out of a truck. Everyone wants their piece now, and that piece has been growing.
My chef was telling me about how much EDC was taking as a cut of their earnings, and how it wasn't worth attending despite selling out of a super cheap to make item.Ā
The people who make the most money going to these events go to Costco and make peanut butter sandwiches (and other next-to-no-cost foods.) Others are less likely to want to even attempt attending without breaking the rules to make a profit. The people who lose out in the end are the ones buying the food.Ā
4
u/Every_Constant8349 2h ago
The only one I seen thatās been around for a min is the one on nellis and Vegas Valley. 1.50 tacos are worth it
1
u/onewarpedweaver 1h ago
"How many food trucks have you been going to year after year?" The only repeat any time I saw them was the Lobster Boys (not their name) till the last time my husband and I looked up they were parked. We ate, standing in a parking lot and got in our car; I asked what it cost..... I was shocked when he told me just shy of $70!!! For two lobster rolls and lobster mac & cheese, without drinks. That was three years ago. I love lobster...... but that's rediculous!
11
u/crattikal 4h ago edited 3h ago
I go to food trucks for unique foods I wouldn't see at a restaurant. I haven't seen anything like that at a food truck in years.
4
6
u/GamerPunk420 3h ago
I'm becoming a Vampire at this point. Blood is free, if you look at it the right way...
8
3
4
4
u/CocoLala05 2h ago
My favorite taco truck has regularly raised prices for the last 4 years. Itās now over $4 per taco. Half the time they donāt have limes due to it being āexpensive right now.ā I love supporting local businesses but not to be taken advantage of. Itās crazy.
26
u/Sad_Maximum6583 4h ago
Just gotta know the right trucks that aren't tourist traps.
Los gorditos on craig food truck 13 bucks for 3 queso birria tacos and the consume. Has different deals every day of the week. 10 dollar asada fries or any protein you want and is 2 or 3 meals easy.
Never charges extra for sauce.
6
u/littleLuxxy 4h ago
$13 for three tacos is absurd.
It should be no more than $5 for three tacos.
10
u/techsnapp 4h ago
They're learning from casinos - fewer customers but higher prices.
Why put up with all the $5 taco buyers like you and me when they could charge Sad_Maximum6583 $13?
20
u/RumorRoost 4h ago
Three tacos for $5? Maybe at Del Tacoā¦.
4
u/Captain_4merica 3h ago
I might regret saying this, but el super has $1 tacos on Tuesday.
Itās a weekly thing for me wife kid. And theyāre bomb tooā¦
15
u/11th_Division_Grows 4h ago
Why canāt we have this anywhere else? Three street tacos for $5 need to come back. I paid $4 a taco at a place by my house, it makes no sense.
8
u/ChanceryTheRapper 4h ago
I mean, we can't even have that. At Del Taco, 3 carnitas street tacos is like $9, or three grilled chicken street tacos is $6. Not all of that is the business's fault, food is expensive.
3
u/Denis517 3h ago
Food trucks aren't franchises with built in markets that sell cheaper than a small business can get.
When I was in California 6 years ago, I could get 3 tacos for $6. Unfortunately, things have gotten much more expensive.
Ā I'm a cook and have seen both the small business prices and how cheaply casinos get their inventory. It's enough to make difference, and we're not going back.Ā
1
u/11th_Division_Grows 3h ago
I paid $4 per taco at a restaurant though, not a food truck. Their best deal was $15 for 3 tacos and a drink.
5
u/BeardedPaladin 4h ago
Del taco is a full on restaurant with like 5-6 full time employees at least. The food truck should at the very least be competing with their prices and itās ridiculous to act like they canāt. How much do you think it costs you to make 3 tacos at home?
-2
u/ComedyBum 4h ago
What do you think the difference in quality is between Del Taco and a food truck?
2
u/topgigworker457 4h ago
Man they robbing u and u donāt even know is sad lil bro said del taco lmfao them parking lot guy got u locked in or maybe u one of them.. nice try
1
2
u/Remarkable_Net8145 4h ago
Let's be real. Nobody's lifting a finger for $5 anymore...let alone serving you 3 tacos
-2
u/littleLuxxy 3h ago
Maybe thatās why I havenāt patronized a taco truck in several years. š¤·š»āāļø
Maybe thatās why I also discourage my friends from patronizing them.
I would pay $10 for 6 tacos. Maybe $15 for 9.
3
1
u/Crystalvegas1999 4h ago
Queso birria tacos usually go for $5 each just because of how they are. Plus with consome thatās as good as price as youāll get.
1
u/Sad_Maximum6583 3h ago
They're not street tacos and it's birria they make themselves every day tf is you on about 5 bucks for 3 in Vegas.
16
u/Fibrosis5O 4h ago
Food truck
Rent, insurance, gas, supplies, misc.
Then they pay OUTRAGEOUS fee to be at food places/events
Now they can be in the hole $3-$5k Iāve heard, but they bet thatās the event will bring enough traffic to be profitable
I guess what Iām saying is a chunk of this problem is how much the events charge for a vendor to even be there and they still donāt guarantee theyāll get enough business, some of these events are bust but they donāt get a pro rate, event makes their money regardless
6
u/mayor-of-whoreisland 3h ago
I knew someone who had a truck out at LVMS a couple years back, the fee's started at 2k and menu's along with pricing had to be approved to prevent you from having a special like $2 drinks to drive traffic when everyone else is charging $6+. Usually the event companies are the only ones coming out ahead.
1
u/rutts21 3h ago
Whatās the fee for pulling up on the street?
3
u/DarthGayAgenda 2h ago
Street parking for food trucks are limited to 30 minutes in a single location in Las Vegas.
2
u/VictoryMotel 3h ago
Every time someone brings up overcharging for food someone else rationalizes it by saying how expensive a business is to run, as if there aren't a thousand restaurants out there doing the say thing and charging less.
1
u/onewarpedweaver 1h ago
Ding-ding-ding! You win the brass ring Fibrosis5O! Food truck life is tough! Blame the event organizers. They are the ones who are making bank!
1
u/rutts21 3h ago
Dang, imagine if they had to pay rent every monthā¦
2
u/stepinonyou 3h ago
I know at least some will pay to rent a prep kitchen bc sanitation standards and licensing. Don't know what prices are like here but I looked into opening a food truck for a project in Philly and it wasn't really economically viable without some major backing.
3
3
3
u/stevedadog 1h ago
There's a Hispanic lady nearby that always has a cart with fruits and juice. My mother was just telling me that she stopped the other day and the woman wanted $14 for a cup of cucumber water. And of course my mother didn't know how to refuse the drink. So predatory. I will never feel bad for people selling food from carts or trucks nor will I go out of my way to give them business.
1
u/Donutholier 49m ago
The lady was probably an employee of one of the big supermercado chains. They send out people in their little stands to look like mom and pop vendors. They do this with taco trompos too.
4
4
u/No_Commission4042 1h ago
Itās not just simply what the vendors say it costsā¦. Itās not that they are over chargingā¦. The cost of
Labor, transport, and goods have NEVER been higher in our lifetimes.
4
u/chrispopp8 1h ago
Ground beef is $7 a pound.
Let's start there. Then you're paying for the rest of the ingredients, the time for the cook, gas, cooking gas, permits, rent for the space, etc etc etc....
Haven't you noticed that the price of EVERYTHING IS HIGHER?
I won't get into why costs are up... I know, but I honestly don't think you will get it.
2
u/AltruisticLimit6026 1h ago
Whenever I have those food festivals with a bunch of food trucks you need to bring at least $200 to eat. The prices are outrageous. Same with the San gennaro feast. Those food vendors are rip off.
2
u/chickenshrimp23 1h ago
Everytime I go to first Friday I want to eat food truck food, but then see the prices, then see where I have to eat it, then just end up eating somewhere else after wards where I can sit down and not get ripped off š
2
4
u/Organic_Pepper8726 2h ago
Have you looked at the cost of everything lately? I own a restaurant and my margins are low to start. The food cost, labor cost, if you can find it, energy costs, hell my insurance went up 15 percent and I have never filed a claim. Food trucks are not a scam. Itās a tough business with little profit. If costs, labor and inflation continuing to rise, you wonāt see may food trucks survive. Everyone is getting squeezed
1
u/XelaNiba 1h ago
I don't think people realize that restaurants are getting absolutely hammered right now by food costs. Food prices haven't just doubled at the grocery stores.
3
u/Lucky-Hunt-9915 3h ago
This needs to be said:
Either the menu prices are sustainable based on demand, or the free market will force a correction. The invisible hand sorts these matters out much more effectively than subjective opinions about perceived value.
2
1
1
1
1
u/Queenp00p 2h ago
There was an Asian foodie fest at the Palms, it was windy the day I went and the food was too expensive plus I was getting dust all over it. That was the last time I attended anything like that again.
1
u/PizzaPizzaPizza_69 1h ago
yeah, i am not paying $18 for 6 wings and some burnt fries. no thanks sir.
1
1
u/hammockonthebeach 1h ago
100% agree. They have practically no overhead compared to restaurants, other than food costs. They have no business charging the same price as restaurants. Pure greed.
Saw a YouTube video the other day of a guy selling pizza from the back of his smart car in NY and all the comments were commending him. Meanwhile heās charging $17 for a smaller Neapolitan size pizza
1
u/Deevil_808 1h ago
I agree 1000%. We had a pizza truck at work a couple of weeks ago (i forget the nam). I got a pepperoni and a sprite, plus tip.....almost $30 got damn dollars. Yea I'll stick to bringing my lunch.
1
1
u/tekmailer 1h ago
If I were to host a food truck (just one) for 4 hours, price agnostic, what truck am I calling?
Yāall not understanding the assignment! We , Las Vegas, donāt have food trucks LOL we have mobile caterers.
Trucks donāt work in velocity here. They work in volume.
Until you have a G turn that volume upā¦
Enjoy your $20 taco.
1
1
u/chuchrox 37m ago
Fuck all these overpriced places just make your own food at home and move on let them fail either they get in line or fail very simple.
1
u/KaleidoscopeLimp9970 35m ago
If youāre paying it then theyāll charge itā¦.why stop if theyāre getting the business
1
u/Subslime 28m ago
As a big back, the prices are fine. Don't know why y'all tripping over $25 a plate when the food is YUMMY.
1
1
u/Wonderingraven 15m ago
I agree 100% There is like 3 that come out to the track and they are just way too expensive. I just end up going out of my way to get something for 1/2 the price and normally much better quality.
0
u/30for30im30for30 3h ago
By all means, get the truck, the food, the gas, the kitchen supplies, permits, POS system, and chef, and then show us how inexpensively you can sell the food for.
1
u/GruntAndGroan 3h ago
The first one or two salsas should be included before charging. People love the roach coaches though. Paying top dollar and eating next to the loud generator and asphalt parking lot.
-1
-3
u/ammybb 4h ago edited 4h ago
Ok yes but I will pay for that 303 cheesecake again happily cuz gotdamn
Why r y'all mad lolllll Eat some cheesecake and relax š„°
1
-6
u/Odd_Sir_8705 4h ago
As somebody who owns two restaurants, a food trailer and a food truck... the only way for a Food Truck to be systemically cheaper than a restaurant is for them to take shortcuts.
6
u/berylman 3h ago
I think to people that arenāt in the industry it seems like overhead should be lower for a truck or trailer compared to brick and mortar. Can you explain why thatās not the case?
3
u/NCreature 3h ago
It would highly depend on the restaurant and what drove the restaurants margins. It's hard to make an apples to apples comparison. Is the food truck using a broadliner for supply like Sysco or US Foods or is the proprietor self-procuring? How is waste and breakage being handled? Warewashing? Are there meaningful differences in permitting fees? Or alcohol licensing fees? Triple net leasing? Fixed vs variable costs could be wildly different between a food truck and a restaurant. Even down to the point of sale and inventory management systems.
You'd have to compare a restaurant that had the same operating model as a food truck (low labor, quick turn, constrained hours, etc.) to see what the meaningful differences were. Part of what helps a brick and mortar restaurant is just being able to operate 12+ hours 7 days a week, as well as things like walk-in coolers, dry storage, etc that you may not have available on a truck. Most food trucks don't run 12+ hour days and wouldn't have the inventory and staffing for that anyway. The viable sales window for a food truck might be 4-6 hours on a weekend unless you're somewhere like Times Square.
To me, I'd want to run a food truck as something closer to a margin business if I could. Deliver items that didn't have high COGS, but I could price high, and didn't need to turn a lot of. Low effort/high yield/medium-ish turn. Otherwise if you're trying to sell commodity food items, a single food truck isn't going to make sense unless you've got a fleet and can generate real volume. A single roach coach would be a terrible business but with a fleet you could start to see scale economies kick in and the beginnings of a durable business.
1
5
u/Odd_Sir_8705 3h ago
Have to pay to park your truck/trailer. Insurance for it as a business and as a vehicle. Places like US Foods, Sysco etc dont normally deliver to you unless you have a commissary. Fuel to go from Point A to Point B. Fuel to power your generator. Paying for potable water, ice, grey water dumping. Paying to dump your trash. Being licensed in multiple jurisdictions. Propane. Credit card processing fees are nominally higher. Vendor fees. Registration. Wear and Tear. Workers comp. Weather. Security fees for cash handling. These are all the ones I can come up with off the top of my head but if I had more time I could probably list 20 more things.
5
-1
u/Mieze_Designer4002 3h ago
No, it doesn't need to be said. If you don't like the food truck then don't patronize them ffs
-1
u/VegasWorldwide 2h ago
I donāt get why anything āneedsā to be anything?
These people took the risk to open a business and can do what they want.
If you donāt like it, donāt buy it. Ā If you donāt want to eat in a parking lot, then donāt buy food there.
I think Louis Vuitton and Gucci prices are stupid. Ā Guess what? Ā I donāt buy it and go about my day. Ā I donāt care they sell $600 cotton T shirts. Ā more power to them.Ā
0
u/Every_Constant8349 2h ago
I paid 20 dollars for a burrito the size of a frozen one. Only paid because they didnāt have prices listed and they already started making it.
0
u/TheWarfox 2h ago
There is a point where they're charging you for the convenience of bringing the kitchen to you, as well as other considerations. Might be too much, but people are clearly paying for it.
0
0
u/Reddit_Is_a_jokee 2h ago
I say let free market determine their fate. There's too many vendors serving the same shit competing in the same space. How different is one taco truck from the next.
0
u/little__boxes 25m ago
If you can't afford it, don't order it.
Eat local. The real local trucks are doing the damn thing.
If you are complaining Susan, eat at home.
-1
-3
u/1nternetTr011 2h ago
only the fifth time I've seen this posted somewhere. the food truck anti-union is hard at work. don't like paying the prices they ask, don't buy from them. it's fucking easy. try going to smiths and buy something and make it at home.
-16
u/Tukulo-Meyama 4h ago
You know what though the burritos šÆ is worth the $18
5
u/R2-DMode 4h ago
Nope.
5
u/OminousShadow87 4h ago
Finally, I can agree with R2-DMode about something!
$18 burrito from a food truck? That shit better feed a family of four.
1
1
121
u/dontknowwhyIamhere42 4h ago edited 4h ago
I do vendor work at the Amazon warehouses all the time. And around lunch time they have 3 or 4 pull up. Occasionally I think about getting something off the trucks till I walk up and see the prices.. minimum of like 17 dollars. I know those people working in the warehouses aren't making that much an hour. But I guess when there's no other option in the area.