Off the Grid - mobile food & community

On Friday, I went to the meeting of the food trucks. It’s called Off the Grid - about 8 trucks and a dozen other street food vendors formed a circle in the Ft. Mason parking lot and sold their delicacies. All kinds of food was represented: tacos, Korean barbecue, empanadas, dumplings, Japanese takoyaki, s’mores, chai, curry, ramen bowls, teriyaki bowls. Really, you name it, it was there.

San Francisco locals are quite familiar with the food truck revolution, elevated from the standard “yuck truck.” These food vendors are gourmet cuisine on wheels. My husband said, “Only in San Francisco would I stand in a parking lot on line for about 45 minutes for a Korean barbecue taco.” He’s right.

It was crowded, with a few hundred people at the height. There was a band smack in the middle of the round (and a mighty good one, at that – the Ferocious Few) And some lines were looooong. But everyone was having a good time, and it was a novel event.

Past being full, my biggest take-away was the feeling of community. Here we all were, standing outside, eating off our laps. Talking with people in line around us. Some were from the neighborhood, some from across town. And then think of the vendors – they have built their own community, as well. Although some of the foods overlap, there’s enough to go around for everyone. It was great exposure for them and, I hope, a lucrative night.

What can we do in our businesses that support community? What events can we be involved in that support our local neighborhoods and businesses? And what other businesses can we join forces with to offer something truly remarkable? It’s worth the time to think about – when we think of each other, we all win.