During the COVID-19 statewide shutdown, local restaurants had to get creative to stay afloat. While dining rooms were closed and most people were following the stay-at-home order, local food trucks could be spotted rolling all over town.
Since March, food truck businesses and restaurants with trucks at the ready have set up shop in local neighborhoods, parks and other spots around Baton Rouge—bringing back a trend that had died down in the Capital Region.
Now that restaurants and cafes are in phase one of reopening, it poses a new question for the local food truck scene: Are local businesses going to continue using food trucks to reach customers, or will reopening require another business pivot?
Louisiana Lemonade, a Baton Rouge food truck that specializes in fresh, squeezed lemonade and frozen lemonade drinks, served at the LSU Lakes during the shutdown when the weather allowed. But business hasn’t been booming.
“The virus cut business by 75%,” manager Khris Loyd says. “Our part-time workers aren’t working, and we’re exploring some other options for how we can get our lemonade out.”
Loyd says he plans to bring the truck out more sporadically since business has died down. He plans to start selling lemonade by the bottle and setting up lemonade stands at local BREC parks.
Though Ninja Snowballs primarily gets business from events, the catering company has operated as a food truck and has been selling from the LSU Lakes since the shutdown. The company plans to continue rolling through local parks and neighborhoods until the trucks can be booked for events again. Newk’s Eatery plans to only serve areas and businesses upon request, and local alcoholic ice cream truck Spiked Scoops temporarily stopped serving until there is a higher demand.
Read the full story from 225 magazine. Subscribe to the free 225 Dine online e-newsletter to keep up with Baton Rouge food and events.
