The Pun of Owning a Food Truck

The rate that food trucks are sprouting up all over the world, it is becoming quite difficult to find a catchy name for food trucks which is why a number of them are using pun names. Not only does this makes it easier to market the food truck concept, it is also great for branding.

Some of the more interesting food trucks that have used pun names are:

Carte Blanche Food Truck from Oregon – This food truck uses a vintage Airstream trailer as its food truck. It serves international dishes like Asian rice bowls, Mac and Cheese, sandwiches, crispy rice salad and cookies. All their ingredients are sourced locally and organic. Their menu changes with the season which explain the carte blanche or freedom they exercise to make these menu or any other adjustments  as they see fit.

The Dump Truck from Portland – They serve dumplings! And their food has been featured on the Food Network and Travel Channel, among other shows and newspapers. They have been around since 2010 and have evolved very well from the original dumpling recipe they learned from a Chinese master in Beijing.

Bananarchy in Austin – This food truck sells bananas rolled and dipped whole into different kinds of dipping sauces and toppings. They claim a revolutionary experience because of what they add to the banana like crushed coffee beans, granola, cookies, and chocolate, among other choices.

Auto Bahn in Charleston – Auto Bahn serves Asian food like fresh spring rolls and Banh Mi sandwiches. Their reputation for good food is phenomenal and they have been getting excellent reviews on different online forums.  Although named after the German highway system, it’s hard to see the connection between the food concept and the pun name but they are a food truck that caters to everyone from vegan to meat lovers.

There are many more food trucks with pun names like The Patty Wagon, Lazy Sundae, Miso Hungry, Holy Rollers, Eataly, King of Pops, and Vincent Van Doughnuts.  What’s interesting to note is that only a fourth of the food trucks have pun names  related to their menu or concept and having a pun name is no guarantee of higher chances of success or faster ROI. At the end of the day, it’s still really all about flavor, price, and location.