Why don’t we open a food truck in Boston?
Written by our friends at Dining Car
How did your business begin?
Naomi had always loved to cook and had gone to culinary school in New York and worked in restaurant kitchens. She moved to Boston and was working as a private chef. I started my career in the software industry, but had left to pursue my passion for cooking. I worked in R&D for a major food manufacturer, I’d been a personal chef, and I had served as Director of Catering for a well-known Boston restaurant group. It was 2010 and a family friend had an idea – why don’t we help Naomi and David open a food truck in Boston. That’s how we met.
Why did you decide to vend via food truck?
Good question; mostly because we had no idea what we were getting into! Food trucks were trending and the perception was that it would be easy. It’s not. We loved the idea of having direct contact with our customers. Our ability to connect with people on the street, to delight them with their lunch, to remember them – that’s what made us successful.
Why did you choose The Greenway as a location to vend and how long have you been vending here?
I lived in Boston long before I decided to cook for a living. Having worked for many years on High Street, when the City asked me where I would want to place a food truck, my first answer was Dewey Square. Unlike the “Artery” that it replaced, The Greenway ties the people of this city together, with each other and with the natural world around us. We have been there from the very beginning and we feel a part of its growth and vibrancy.
How has The Greenway improved your business?
Because it has become a destination, The Greenway brings customers to our window and we bring visitors to The Greenway. It’s a wonderful relationship and we hope to spend even more time there.
What is your favorite Greenway event?
We love the spring Greenway Food Truck Festival. Boston slows down in the winter months and the festival is an exciting celebration of spring returning.
What is your favorite Dining Car dish / what would you recommend to customers?
Our slow-roasted lamb sandwich is a tasty labor of love, roasted for six hours until it falls off the bone. We put a thin coat of olive oil marinated goat cheese down, add the lamb, tender greens, freshly chopped mint, and pomegranate vinaigrette on a toasted Iggy’s ciabatta.
Besides Dining Car, what is your favorite Greenway Food Truck to grab breakfast/lunch/snack from?
That’s a tough choice; we have a lot of great options. Probably a Stoked pepperoni pizza because I don’t get out to Brookline as often as I’d like to, but then there’s Moyzilla, and Chubby Chickpea, Shuck Truck, and Bacon Truck, and Northeast of the Border, and Roxy’s, and Gogi, and Pennypackers… let’s just say, I’ve got choices.
What are your plans for the future?
We’re greatly expanding our catering and events business in the coming year, we’re updating our graphics, web and social media presence, and we’ll be hitting the streets with some exciting new specials.