The Great Food Truck Race


The Great Food Truck Race (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)


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. It features competing food trucks. The show has been renewed for a third series.

Rules

Seven specialty food trucks (eight in seasons two and three), compete against each other for the next six weeks (seven in seasons two and three) in different cities. The competition starts in Los Angeles (Mailbu, CA in season two, and Long Beach, CA in season three), 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, NY, season two ended in Miami Beach, FL, and season three ended in Boston, MA, Portland, ME and Lubec, ME. 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. The winner of the final competition wins $50,000 ($100,000 in season two, $50,000 and their own truck in season three).

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 seasons two and three, 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.

Season 1: 2010

Truck Teams

There are seven truck teams competing in the race: 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 three 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 four in New Orleans, LA. 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 three in Fort Worth, TX 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 one in San Diego, CA 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 six, 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 two in Santa Fe, NM 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 five in Jonesborough, TN, losing out to Grill 'Em All by $37.

Truck Stops

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 two, 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

Results

Food Truck Elimination Table
Truck Week 1
San Diego,
CA
Week 2
Santa Fe,
NM
Week 3
Week 4
New Orleans,
LA
Week 5
Jonesborough,
TN
Week 6
New York,
NY
Grill 'Em All 6th ($632) 3rd ($1,306) 3rd ($1,776) 2nd ($1,307) 2nd ($2,763) WINNERS
Nom Nom Truck 1st ($1,078) 1st ($3,045) 1st ($2,390) 1st ($2,103) 1st ($3,117) RUNNERS-UP
5th ($667) 5th ($1,058) 2nd ($2,096) 3rd ($1,170) 3rd ($2,726)
Austin Daily Press 3rd ($727) 4th ($1,096) 4th ($1,669) 4th ($809)
Crepes Bonaparte 2nd ($940) 2nd ($1,717) 5th ($1,465)
Ragin' Cajun 4th ($706) 6th ($745)
Nana Queens 7th ($440)
{{colorbox}} Team that won The Great Food Truck Race.
{{colorbox}} Team that won the Truck Stop for that week.
{{colorbox}} Team that received the most money for that week.
{{colorbox}} Team eliminated for that week.

Season 2: 2011

Truck Teams

Eight truck teams competed in the second season:

Cafe Con Leche - (Van Nuys, CA) features Cuban cuisine and coffee. Cafe Con Leche was eliminated in week three in Denver, CO 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, UT 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, but ultimately losing.

Korilla BBQ - (New York, NY) serves Korean grill and barbecue. Korilla BBQ was disqualified in week five in Memphis, TN 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 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.

Roxy's Grilled Cheese - (Boston, MA) features gourmet grilled cheese. Roxy's was eliminated in week six in Atlanta, GA; despite winning $1000 in the Truck Stop, they came up short by over $1300.

Seabirds - (Orange County, CA) features vegan food. The Seabirds were eliminated in week four in Manhattan, KS 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, NV after experiencing a tire blowout that cost them an exclusive appearance at a festival, en route from Malibu.

Truck Stops

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 barbecue 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

Speed Bumps

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.

Results

Food Truck Elimination Table
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 ($3,145) 4th ($3,281) 1st ($6,919) 4th ($2,768) 2nd ($5,377) 2nd ($8,447) WINNERS
Hodge Podge 3rd ($1,970) 3rd ($3,646) 3rd ($6,118) 3rd ($2,880) 4th ($4,961) 1st ($8,937) RUNNERS-UP
Roxy's Grilled Cheese 7th ($1,177) 6th ($3,006) 4th ($5,316) 2nd ($5,132) 1st ($6,254) 3rd ($7,121)
Korilla BBQ 2nd ($2,550) 1st ($5,665) 2nd ($6,831) 1st ($5,245) 3rd ($5,258)
Seabirds 4th ($1,471) 5th ($3,036) 5th ($3,322) 5th ($2,332)
Cafe Con Leche 6th ($1,327) 2nd ($3,709) 6th ($3,235)
Devilicious 5th ($1,364) 7th ($2,847)
Sky's Gourmet Tacos 8th ($943)
{{colorbox}} Team that won The Great Food Truck Race.
{{colorbox}} Team that won the Truck Stop for that week.
{{colorbox}} Team that earned the most money for that week.
{{colorbox}} Team eliminated for that week.
^: 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.
^: 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.

Season 3: 2012

Truck Teams

This season, none of the eight teams own a food truck. Food Network designed each team's truck based on their proposed concept. The winning team will earn $50,000 and keep the truck. Eight truck teams are competing in the third season:

Barbie Babes is from Los Angeles, CA and serves traditional Australian barbecue. Barbie Babes was eliminated in week two in Flagstaff, AZ, after a mishap with an underpriced menu, that affected them greatly. They lost out to Momma's Grizzly Grub by $170 and were only eliminated because of the immunity Pop-A-Waffle received.

Coast of Atlanta is from Atlanta, GA and serves fresh local seafood. Coast of Atlanta was eliminated in week four in Fayetteville, AR, after three other trucks were parked at a thriving local farmer's market, and they were not allowed to park there. They lost out to Momma's Grizzly Grub by just $24.

Momma's Grizzly Grub is from Wasilla, AK and serves homestyle comfort food dishes. Momma's Grizzly Grub was penalized $250 in week four in Fayetteville, AR because they broke a streetlamp; they barely survived elimination as a result. Momma's Grizzly Grub was eliminated in week five in Nashville, TN after they parked at a cupcake shop and could not get any business; they had to scramble to find customers.

Nonna's Kitchenette is from Parsippany, NJ and features traditional Italian recipes passed down from their grandmothers. Nonna's Kitchenette was penalized $250 in week five in Nashville, TN after they accidentally hit somebody's car with their truck; however, they still ended up in second place. Nonna's Kitchenette made it all the way to the finale, winning the truck stop, but still coming up $103 short to Seoul Sausage.

Pizza Mike's is from Columbus, OH and serves pizza and Italian food. Pizza Mike's was eliminated in week three in Amarillo, TX, because of parking at a dog park temporarily for an event, only to later find out that they have to stay in the park for the rest of the day because of the speed bump, which made them lose customers.

Pop-A-Waffle is from Los Angeles, CA and creates waffles ranging from strawberry shortcake to fajitas. Pop-A-Waffle was eliminated in week six in Cleveland, OH, after a bad decision, with one hour left in the day, to park at a concert down the road, through traffic.

Seoul Sausage is from Los Angeles, CA and serves classic Korean-style (mainly sausage) dishes. Seoul Sausage made it to the finale and beat out Nonna's Kitchenette. They won $50,000 and got to keep their truck.

Under the Crust is from San Diego, CA and serves gourmet sweet and savory pies. Under the Crust was eliminated in week one in Los Angeles, CA after they could not park at L.A. Live and could not sell anything fast enough, once they parked on Hollywood Boulevard. After they were eliminated, Tyler Florence announced that Food Network would donate $5,000 to the American Cancer Society in honor of team member Hannah's deceased fiancé, Keith.

Truck Stops

The "Truck Stop" is an early challenge that gives an advantage to one truck in the main elimination challenge.

Week 2: The teams have to make a dish out of cactus and put it on their menu and be judged by a local judge, Beau MacMillan. The winner gets immunity. Winner: Pop-A-Waffle


Week 3: The teams have to include a ballpark special on their menu, an item that would be available at any stadium anywhere in the country, and are judged by stadium concessionaire, John Ciarrachi. The winning team earned $500 and a mysterious key, which turned out to be the key to unlock the boot that was put on their truck during the Speed Bump. Winner: Seoul Sausage


Week 4: The teams must create a breakfast item that included a secret ingredient: Pop-Tarts to be judged by an acclaimed teen chef, Jeremy Salamon. The winner receives a token, that is worth $750. Winner: Nonna's Kitchenette


Week 5: The teams must create a picnic basket, featuring their takes on classic Southern dishes. The winner earns $1,000 toward their till and the exclusive rights to serve 1,500 people at an event hosted by [[Joey + Rory]]. Winner: Pop-A-Waffle


Week 6: The teams must make a dish featuring an Ohio locally-grown beefsteak tomato, judged by Outback Steakhouse founder, J. Timothy Gannon. The winner gets $250 added to their till, and gets to sell for three hours, while the other teams have to shut down their trucks. Winner: Pop-A-Waffle


Week 7: The teams must make a "New England Style" dish featuring lobster. The winner gets $500 added to their till, and gets to move on to the next city, while the other team has to shuck 6 bushels (600 pounds) of clams. Winner: Nonna's Kitchenette


Speed Bumps

Week 1: With six hours left, the teams must all relocate to Hollywood Boulevard to compete against each other in a sell-off.


Week 2: The trucks were required to serve only vegan food.


Week 3: The trucks were given boots on their wheels and were immobilized for the whole day.


Week 4: The teams were required to close their doors for the rest of the day, and start selling at 1:00 AM that night.


Week 5: The teams were required to have two members sit out while their other teammates trained culinary students to do their jobs.


Week 6: The teams were required to close their doors and sell on foot from a hot dog cart until 6:00 PM.


Week 7: When the teams got to Lubec, they were required to sell everything for under $2.

Results

Food Truck Elimination Table
Truck Week 1
Los Angeles,
CA
Week 2
Flagstaff,
AZ
Week 3
Amarillo,
TX
Week 4
Fayetteville,
AR
Week 5
Nashville,
TN
Week 6
Cleveland,
OH
Week 7
Boston, MA,
Portland, ME &
Lubec, ME
Seoul Sausage 1st ($1,896) 1st ($2,330) 1st ($4,561) 2nd ($2,907) 3rd ($2,297) 1st ($5,202) WINNERS ($6,673)
Nonna's Kitchenette 3rd ($983) 3rd ($1,410) 3rd ($3,661) 1st ($3,005) 2nd ($2,321) 2nd ($4,292) RUNNERS-UP ($6,570)
Pop-A-Waffle 6th ($654) 7th ($745) 4th ($3,575) 3rd ($1,936) 1st ($3,173) 3rd ($3,408)
Momma's Grizzly Grub 4th ($916) 5th 2nd ($3,911) 4th ($1,842) 4th ($1,919)
Coast of Atlanta 5th ($802) 4th ($1,280) 5th ($3,176) 5th ($1,818)
Pizza Mike's 2nd ($1,284) 2nd ($2,157) 6th ($2,764)
Barbie Babes 7th ($531) 6th
Under the Crust 8th ($195)
{{colorbox}} Team that won The Great Food Truck Race.
{{colorbox}} Team that won the Truck Stop for that week.
{{colorbox}} Team that earned the most money for that week.
{{colorbox}} Team eliminated for that week.
^: Even though Pop-A-Waffle came in last place, they won immunity in the Truck Stop Challenge, and Barbie Babes were the ones who were sent home.
^: Dollar amounts were not announced, but the host said that the Momma's Grizzly Grub total exceeded Barbie Babes by $170.
^: Momma's Grizzly Grub would have finished in 3rd place, but $250 was removed from their till to pay the insurance deductible for a destroyed city streetlamp.
^: Nonna's Kitchenette had $250 removed from their till to pay the insurance deductible for hitting a car.

See also

  • List of The Great Food Truck Race episodes


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