| The Great Food Truck Race | |
|---|---|
| Format | Reality television |
| Presented by | Tyler Florence |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (List of episodes) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Food Network |
The Great Food Truck Race is a reality television series, that originally aired on August 15, 2010, on Food Network, with Tyler Florence as the host.[1] It features competing food trucks.
Contents |
Seven specialty food trucks (eight in season two) compete against each other for the next six weeks (seven in season two) in different cities. The competition starts in Los Angeles (Mailbu, CA in season two), but the start of the selling is not there. The trucks move through a series of cities across the country, ending on the east coast. Season one ended in New York City, and season two ended in Miami. The goal each week is for the trucks to win by having the highest sales total. The food truck that makes the least money is eliminated, and must return home, while the remaining trucks advance to the next city. In addition, the winning truck owners may earn a trip or other prizes.[2] The winner of the final competition wins $50,000 ($100,000 in season two).
In season one, each team faced a Truck Stop challenge in every city. The challenge consisted of a cooking competition with some unique twist such as adding chili peppers or using a limited selection of utensils. The winner often gained a significant advantage over their competitors who were also typically punished.
In season two, the Truck Stops did not start until the second week. Additionally, each week contains a Speed Bump, which unlike the Truck Stop was not a competition, but rather a random penalty for all teams. For example, in the season 2 premiere, all trucks were not allowed to use propane for a portion of the competition.
There are seven truck teams competing in the race:[3] Each truck team consists of a driver and two crew, who will staff the truck, and are responsible for cooking, shopping, orders and publicity.
Austin Daily Press - This team from Austin, TX serves hot grilled sandwiches wrapped in a piece of newspaper from The Onion. In episode 3 in Fort Worth, TX, they set up on a little league baseball field and donated 15% of their profits (~$200) to the little league. Had they kept the donation, they would have placed third. Austin Daily Press was eliminated in week 4 in New Orleans, Louisiana. They had the third-greatest amount in raw sales, but were passed by Spencer on the Go's $500 they won in the Truck Stop challenge.
Crepes Bonaparte - From Fullerton, CA, this team serves Parisian-style crepes. Crepes Bonaparte was eliminated in week 3 in Fort Worth, Texas after a bad decision on their location cost them customers. They earned the fourth-greatest amount of money in raw sales, but were defeated by Grill 'Em All in the Truck Stop Challenge, in which they placed second. If they had won the Truck Stop, they would have been pushed into first for the round.
Grill 'Em All - With a name and logo inspired by the Metallica album "Kill 'Em All," this Los Angeles team serves gourmet hamburgers. Grill 'Em All narrowly escaped elimination three times, courtesy of the Nana Queens' unexpected fryer problems and winning two Truck Stops. Despite all the problems experienced in the competition, they narrowly made it into the final, eventually taking first place and winning the $50,000 grand prize against Nom Nom.
Nana Queens - Banana pudding and chicken wings are the specialty of this team from Culver City, CA, which attracts people by dressing Rick up in a banana costume. The Nana Queens were eliminated in week 1 in San Diego, California stemming from fryer issues that caused them to lose an entire day and having to pay a $300 appearance fee at a festival. The Nana Queens had earned $740 before their fee payment.
Nom Nom Truck - This team from Los Angeles serves Vietnamese sandwiches and tacos. Nom Nom's strategy primarily focuses on partnering with local businesses of each city. In spite of having never won a Truck Stop until week 6, they won the first five consecutive weeks in a row, earning them a spot in the final two against Grill 'Em All. However, they narrowly lost the final stop to Grill 'Em All.
Ragin' Cajun - Cajun food is the specialty of this team, which hails from Lafayette, LA. Ragin' Cajun was eliminated in week 2 in Santa Fe, New Mexico after a failure to properly promote themselves. They attempted unsuccessfully to poach off Nom Nom's business, then lost the challenge for immunity.
Spencer on the Go - This team from San Francisco serves French cuisine, going so far as to set up a folding table so patrons can enjoy a sit-down dining experience. Spencer on the Go was eliminated in week 5 in Jonesborough, Tennessee, losing out to Grill 'Em All by $37.00.
The "Truck Stop" is an early challenge that gives the advantage to one truck in the main elimination challenge.
Week 1. Starting place is in San Diego rather than in Los Angeles.
Week 2. During the competition, teams must add chili peppers and make a new dish with it. A mystery shopper will taste all the chile dishes and will pick the best one. Winner receives immunity from elimination. Winner: Spencer on the Go
Week 3. During this competition, teams must butcher a quarter cow and make a new dish with it. Like Week 2, a mystery shopper will select which dish is the best one. Winner receives an expensive Texan Rodeo Buckle, which is estimated at $1,000, which is the amount that will be added towards their final tally. Winner: Grill 'Em All
Week 4. During this competition, teams were told to close early on the second night in order to wake up for the Truck Stop. At the Truck Stop each team is given 30 minutes to fillet a catfish and create a dish from it. A judge selects which truck created the best dish. Winner receives $500 toward their final tally, the other three teams must work together to fillet 700 lb. of catfish before they are allowed to start selling again. Winner: Spencer on the Go
Week 5. At a rustic farm, the teams must complete a five-course meal using frontier-era cooking utensils and supplies. A pair of judges determined who created the best overall meal. Winner receives a spot at a nearby truck show and access to thousands of potential clients; the other two teams must remain in Jonesborough and sell only to locals. Winner: Grill 'Em All
Week 6. During the race through all five New York boroughs and the rush to sell $500 at each location before moving on, Tyler calls the teams with a Truck Stop challenge that brings them back to Brooklyn where they have an hour to prepare the opposing team’s signature dish for judge Chef Nate Appleman (Pulino’s Bar and Pizzeria). Chef Appleman awards the $500 bonus to the Nom Nom crew for their Asian-inspired burger which allows them to skip the Staten Island stop. Winner: Nom Nom [4]
| Truck | Week 1 San Diego, CA |
Week 2 Santa Fe, NM |
Week 3 Fort Worth, TX |
Week 4 New Orleans, LA |
Week 5 Jonesborough, TN |
Week 6 New York, NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grill 'Em All | 6th ($632) | 3rd ($1306) | 3rd ($1776) | 2nd ($1307) | 2nd ($2763) | WINNERS |
| Nom Nom Truck | 1st ($1078) | 1st ($3045) | 1st ($2390) | 1st ($2103) | 1st ($3117) | RUNNER UP |
| Spencer on the Go | 5th ($667) | 5th ($1058) | 2nd ($2096) | 3rd ($1170) | 3rd ($2726) | |
| Austin Daily Press | 3rd ($727) | 4th ($1096) | 4th ($1669) | 4th ($809) | ||
| Crepes Bonaparte | 2nd ($940) | 2nd ($1717) | 5th ($1465) | |||
| Ragin' Cajun | 4th ($706) | 6th ($745) | ||||
| Nana Queens | 7th ($440) | |||||
Filming for the second season began on April 2, 2011 in Malibu, California and continued in Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Manhattan, KS, and Memphis.[5][6][7] The season concluded in Miami Beach, Florida. Season 2 premiered on Food Network August 14, 2011 following The Next Food Network Star.
Eight truck teams are competing in the second season:[8]
The Lime Truck (Orange County, CA) serves California beach cuisine that is ingredient-driven. The Lime Truck advanced into the finale in Miami, battling (and ultimately defeating) Hodge Podge for the grand prize.
Seabirds (Orange County, CA) features vegan food. The Seabirds were eliminated in week four in Manhattan, Kansas after slow service on their first day prevented them from taking advantage of the prime location they won in the Truck Stop.
Sky's Gourmet Tacos (Los Angeles, CA) serves Mexican/soul fusion cuisine. Sky's Gourmet Tacos was eliminated in week one in Las Vegas, Nevada after experiencing a tire blowout that cost them an exclusive appearance at a festival, en route from Malibu.
Cafe Con Leche (Van Nuys, CA) features Cuban cuisine and coffee. Cafe Con Leche was eliminated in week three in Denver, Colorado after they had to pay premium prices for supplies they received from a restaurant they partnered with. They lost out to the Seabirds by $87.
Devilicious (San Diego, CA) specializes in what the crew describe as "twisted" comfort food. Devilicious was eliminated in week two in Salt Lake City, Utah after a $1-off promotion cut deeply into their profits; they lost out to Roxy's Grilled Cheese by only $159.
Hodge Podge (Cleveland, OH) serves "grab-bag" comfort food. Despite being in last place in week five, they were saved because Korilla BBQ was disqualified due to cheating. Hodge Podge advanced into the finale in Miami, battling The Lime Truck for the grand prize.
Roxy's Grilled Cheese (Boston, MA) features gourmet grilled cheese. Roxy's was eliminated in week six in Atlanta, Georgia; despite winning $1000 in the Truck Stop, they came up short by over $1300.
Korilla BBQ (New York, NY) serves Korean grill and barbecue. Korilla BBQ was disqualified in week five in Memphis, Tennessee after they were caught adding $2700 of their own money to the cash box. Their disqualification saved Hodge Podge, as Korilla had the third-highest sales of the week before they were caught cheating.
The "Truck Stop" is an early challenge that gives an advantage to one truck in the main elimination challenge.
Week 2: The trucks were required to make a dish using sausage that they made themselves and five ingredients from an ingredient table. The winning truck earned an additional $100, doubling their seed money to $200, and immunity from the Speed Bump. Winner: Hodge Podge
Week 3: The trucks were required to forage for wild mushrooms in the mountains outside Denver and create a dish featuring the local mushrooms. The winning truck earned an exclusive interview with the local ABC affiliate and $200 of seed money; the remaining trucks received no seed money at all. Winner: The Lime Truck
Week 4: The trucks were required to make a meal based on the local cuisine for $5 or less. The winning truck would be the only team allowed to park in Aggieville, a popular restaurant area near the university campus. Winner: Seabirds
Week 5: The trucks were required to butcher and prepare a 100-pound pig, and prepare a barbeque sauce to go along with their dish. The winning truck earned an additional $500, doubling their seed money to $1000. In addition, the winning truck was allowed to leave the Truck Stop immediately, while the other teams, as a punishment, had to butcher the remainder of the pork (including the winning truck's) to donate to a local food bank, before leaving. Winner: Roxy's Grilled Cheese
Week 6: The trucks had one hour to find both peaches and peanuts in downtown Atlanta, and to combine them with the ingredients in a random basket. A local chef judged who best used the peanuts and peaches. The winning truck received $1,000. Winner: Roxy's Grilled Cheese
Week 7: The trucks were required to venture out 5 miles into the Atlantic Ocean by boat and go fishing. They had 30 minutes to catch a fish and 30 minutes to prepare it. The winning truck received $1,500. Winner: The Lime Truck
Week 1: The trucks were required to stop using propane with six hours of the day left.
Week 2: The trucks were required to relocate at least one mile away from their current location.
Week 3: The trucks were required to be handled by only one truck member.
Week 4: The trucks were required to sell everything on their menus for less than $1.00
Week 5: The trucks were required to serve only vegetarian food.
Week 6: The lead chefs on each truck were sidelined, with their two remaining teammates having to man the truck. With approximately one hour left, they were allowed to return.
Week 7, Speed Bump 1: The teams had 5 minutes to grab whatever they needed off their trucks before they were towed. To get the truck back, they needed to make $200 from the food they had.
Week 7, Speed Bump 2: The teams were required to shut down for the rest of Day 2. For the first 2 hours of business the next day, the trucks only sold desserts.
| Truck | Week 1 Las Vegas, NV |
Week 2 Salt Lake City, UT |
Week 3 Denver, CO |
Week 4 Manhattan, KS |
Week 5 Memphis, TN |
Week 6 Atlanta, GA |
Week 7 Miami Beach, FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Lime Truck | 1st ($3145) | 4th ($3281) | 1st ($6919) | 4th ($2768) | 2nd ($5377)[1] | 2nd ($8447) | WINNERS |
| Hodge Podge | 3rd ($1970) | 3rd ($3646) | 3rd ($6118) | 3rd ($2880) | 4th ($4961) | 1st ($8937) | RUNNER UP |
| Roxy's Grilled Cheese | 7th ($1177) | 6th ($3006) | 4th ($5316) | 2nd ($5132) | 1st ($6254) | 3rd ($7121) | |
| Korilla BBQ | 2nd ($2550) | 1st ($5665) | 2nd ($6831) | 1st ($5245) | 3rd ($5258)[2] | ||
| Seabirds | 4th ($1471) | 5th ($3036) | 5th ($3322) | 5th ($2332) | |||
| Cafe Con Leche | 6th ($1327) | 2nd ($3709) | 6th ($3235) | ||||
| Devilicious | 5th ($1364) | 7th ($2847) | |||||
| Sky's Gourmet Tacos | 8th ($943) | ||||||
^1 Independent of the Speed Bump, a local food blogger, "The Chubby Vegetarian," visited each truck. The truck that received the best review was granted immunity. The Lime Truck won immunity.
^2 Although Korilla had the third highest sales, they were disqualified for cheating when one of the team members added $2700 of their own money to the cash box.