Food Trucks Industry Switching from Cheeseburgers and Fries to Lettuce Wraps and Kale Chips

Food truck vendors started to gain popularity in the United States around 2008, when citizens had to cut back on spending due to the economic downturn. Entrepreneurs saw this change in consumer preferences as a way to provide unique cuisine options to people at their convenience. Fast-forward five years, now there are many vendors in the marketplace and capturing the audience’s attention is becoming tougher than ever before. Now-a-days consumers are more cautious about the health benefits of the food they are putting in their body and, at the same time, are spending more and more time using technology to interact with the world around them. That is where unique marketing strategies by vendors come into play.

Many cities around in the US host a weekly event where food truck vendors gather at one location from lunch until early dinner. The event, called Food Truck Roundup, takes place at different lots across the city each week to attract customers from different areas.

It is not difficult to get started in the food truck industry but differentiating yourself from the masses of other trucks lined up downtown during peak lunch hours is a different story. Many food trucks are pertaining to healthy eating lifestyles by offering food catered to those who are vegan or vegetarian. Imaner Consultants, an ethical organization who specialize in vegan website involvement, calculated that 95 percent of vegans go out of their way to buy foods from ethical companies. The group also discovered that 96 percent of vegans use the internet as a way of locating vegan products. Some food trucks have taken these statistics into consideration and work to enhance the social responsibility of their trucks and portraying their vision on social media sites. When catering to vegans, vendors consider not only the type of produce they use when preparing each dish but also the type of fuel used in their trucks and the types of packaging and utensils used to eat the organic dishes.

The Cinnamon Snail, based out of New York, New York, won Mobile Cuisine’s 2013 Vegetarian/Vegan Food Truck of the Year. The truck is known for its assorted pastries and desserts, soups, salads, and burgers.

Aluminum foil is used by many trucks as a way to serve hand held meals like sandwiches and wraps. The foil is not only an easy clean up for guests but its recyclable capabilities cater to those concerned with preserving the earth. Vendors see it as a way to get the food to customers quicker and using foil doesn’t require any extra packaging material. It is a cost effective way to ensure the food inside stays the same temperature from the time it comes off the grill to the time the consumer opens it up to enjoy. Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide array of aluminum foil for packaging. To read more detail on the types of foil we offer be sure to check out our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn Group, Facebook, and Twitter.

Sources: IBISWorld, Imaner Consultants, mobile-cuisine.com

By: Kristie Kaaa / SMC Editor

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American Copper Theft Continues to Create Trouble for Cities Across the Nation

As the United States slowly creeps out of the recession caused by the 2008 housing crisis, construction of new buildings has still been lagging. Bloomberg reports that less construction along with reduced consumer spending and industry activity has led to less demolition, which means a shortage of scrap, or secondhand, building materials. With low levels of copper scrap in the global marketplace, thieves are taking it upon themselves as an opportunity to earn some extra cash. Little do they know that the amount of copper they are trying doesn’t even come close to the thousands of dollars in damages they are doing to communities coast to coast.

• In Danville, Virginia, two thieves were trying to steal what would amount to $9 or $10 worth of copper by cutting a pipeline at a nearby oil distribution facility. The missing pipeline led to an estimated 2,000 gallon natural gas leak. In the same city a few years prior, four deaths occurred when people were trying to steal less than $20 worth of copper.

  

  The Bonneville Power Administration, an American federal agency responsible for the Pacific Northwest region, is using a new weapon against thieves after a dozen break in occurred in a six month span resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in damages.

• Last week in St. Louis, Missouri, tenants in a downtown apartment complex were without water for more than 48 hours after thieves stole copper pipes from the building. Residents complained about unbearable living conditions including mold growth, overflowing trash, and broken elevators. There is known to be handicapped residents living in the apartment unable to leave without operating elevators.
• The biggest copper heist in Utah history occurred last year when thieves managed to steal more than six miles worth of wire off a Salt Lake City highway. The criminals disgusted themselves as construction workers. The missing copper led to a power outages along a mile of the highway and cost the city nearly $60,000 to replace the stolen materials.

Shanghai Metal Corporation does not take part in scrap trade because of the ethical dilemmas that could arise, such as dealing with stolen goods. We are committed to being fully transparent to our consumers and are here to help serve our clients in a socially responsible manner. For more information on SMC’s social responsibility, be sure to check out our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn group, Twitter, and Facebook.

Sources: WSET-TV: The Heart of Virginia,  KSDK.com News Channel Five, The Associated Press, Electric Co-op Today

Kristie K.//SMC Editor