Disappointment abounds at the Lake Highlands Good Eats food truck event on Small Business Saturday

by Terry Eddington of Food Truck Connection

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Dozens were turned away due to the admission charge.

LAKE HIGHLANDS — Following a wildly successful inaugural Lake Highlands StrEATs food truck event in June, the follow-up event on Saturday, November 24, was a disappointment:

• It was a disappointment to Lake Highlands Branding Committee, a volunteer group who partnered with U.S. Food Trucks to host the LH Good Eats food truck event as a fundraiser to support the community branding initiative and to bring the community together.
• It was a disappointment to the attendees, since small crowds simply did not generate the electricity or excitement of the huge, community picnic atmosphere that permeated the first event.
• It was a disappointment to the participating trucks that came out to support U.S. Food Trucks, a participating sponsor and organizer for the event, that crowds were too small to cover costs.
• It was even more disappointing that dozens of would-be attendees turned away at the gate rather than paying the admission fee.

Yes, considering most food truck events draw hundreds or thousands of hungry attendees, it is significant that dozens of would be attendees refused to pay the admission fee. In fairness, the fee was included on the event flyers that were circulated. Don’t misunderstand me, the fee was not the problem, as hundreds willingly paid it at the first LH event.

It’s just not clear how widely the flyers were circulated, as promotion for the event was apparently limited. Unlike the first event, food truck owners paid to participate in the event with the understanding that a portion of the fee would be used to advertise the event. Now, some truck owners are wondering what they got for the fee.

How ironic that on Small Business Saturday, business was so poor for the small business truck owners who honored their relationship with U.S. Food Trucks to support a community fundraiser. And how disappointing that First Bite Gourmet chose LH Good Eats as their Dallas debut, hoping for a big day, not for themselves, but because profits from Saturday would be used to feed the homeless and hungry on Sunday.

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