Thinking of food trucks can come with doubts about quality and service.
We are PKT (Pho Taco Kimchi), we are from 3 different countries and cultures, we have a variety of food prefereces and we are here to help you dive into this world of casual food.
On September 30th, Truth and Reconciliation day, we were ready to visit BC Taco at Port Moody. However, our plan failed since they were closed. It is important to mention that we contacted the food truck previously; there was a miscommunication between the social media manager and the owner and they forgot to inform us. We were lucky though. We found this pink truck in front of Yellow Dog Brewery called Tacofino. BC Taco, on the other hand, was not as lucky, they missed the opportunity to be featured in this blog.
Tacofino is based on a food truck that started in Tofino, British Columbia. Today it has grown and owns 6 restaurants and 3 food trucks in Vancouver and Victoria. The truck that we visited is called Pink Truck and yes, there is a Blue Truck too. Tacofino’s food truck does not follow a specific decoration path even though they have a similar theme. For example, blue trucks create a Hawaii feeling but pink ones are elegant and that builds a very unique impression in customers’ mindsets and from that, customers will remember their brand more easily and effectively. We asked for permission from one of the employees of the pink truck to write this blog and even got to interview him.
Taco On The Wheel
We talked to Alex, he cooks, serves, drives and preps at Tacofino. He is very well informed about the history of this chain that wants you to feel at the beach every time you get a bite. Here is what he told us.
Do you get to create the recipes?
No, Tacofino’s head chef designs the recipes and then we get training to reproduce them.
Can you tell us about the process from the supplying to the food truck service?
Suppliers of meat and vegetables take the ingredients to a commissary we have. We do all the batch prepping and later, we drive to the location where we serve the food.
Do you often go to food truck festivals?
Not lately because of the pandemic. What we do is do private catering. Businesses hire us to feed their employees or we go to wedding receptions. When we are not doing that, we are moving from brewery to brewery.
Have you ever been in a situation where you found yourself in danger?
Yes, one time my coworker and I did not know that one of the gas burners did not work and we turned it on. It shut a fireball at us. (Luckily, nothing happened and he got to keep his eyebrows)
What would prevent the food truck from opening?
If the truck breaks or many staff members get sick or injured at the same time, we would close.
What’s the best thing about working on a food truck?
The day is broken into separate sections. We do the prepping, we drive, we set up, we cook, we serve, we clean, we drive… It goes fast. Also, people are nice to us (Of course, they’re friendly and they’re feeding them).
What is the worst thing about it?
Pouring rain and trying to set up or if the food truck breaks down; it can be frustrating.
Which is your favourite dish?
Fish taco, (It was our favourite too) pacific cod, cabbage, salsa Fresca and chipotle mayo. The carnitas taco would be my second one.
What would prevent the food truck from opening?
If the truck breaks or many staff members get sick or injured at the same time, we would close.
What happens if a food truck breaks down?
We have a truck manager and delivery drivers that are very good with the machines. In case they can’t fix it, we take it to the mechanic.
Finally, can you tell us about the competitive atmosphere?
We are pretty lucky that people know about Tacofino restaurants so when they see us, they say “Oh Tacofino, I love that place” so they come. Tacofino is a very strong brand so we don’t feel that competitive atmosphere.
This is all the juice we got and we hope you learned as much as we did from this small interview.
And thank you, Alex. We appreciate your help.
After this, we tried foods from the truck. We wanted to give you a complete review, and that is why we ordered almost everything on the menu.
Patatas Bravas burrito
smoked paprika crema, cabbage, Monterey cheese, green onions, cilantro
This is a great option for vegetarians. The paprika gives it an exotic taste. While Alice did not like it, Sora did and it was Stefie’s favourite.
Price: $12.00
Walking burrito
Doritos, chorizo, black beans, lime crema, jalapeños, cheese, salsa.
It smells delicious. This burrito is a bit spicy and is full of flavour. Anh recommends it. Doritos chips give you a good crunchy texture.
Price: $ 13.50
Walking taco
Doritos, chorizo, black beans, lime crema, jalapeños
This dish is a perfect choice for someone who wants to visit from brewery to brewery. It is a bit spicy. Its texture is quite nice and attractive.
Price: $6.50
Fish taco
pacific cod, cabbage, salsa fresca, chipotle mayo
This dish is top-notch. We liked the light fish flavour in this taco. The sauce had a moderate sour and salty taste and was not too spicy. This was Anh and Sora’s favourite.
Price: $7.00
Chicken taco
avocado, radish, green onion, cilantro, black chili mayo
Everything is finished off with sharp sauce and served in a warm and puffy flatbread that has been “moulded in a notable taco structure”.
Price: $7.00
Cauliflower taco
achiote onion tempura, not-so-fish-sauce, lime crema, salsa verde, cilantro
The sauce had the correct amount of spiciness. The crust of tempura is fairly crispy and relatively thick. Since Alice is a meat lover, she wasn’t impressed by this dish. However, it is a good option for vegetarians.
Price: $6.50
Kim Chi gringa
sriracha, kimchi, cheese
Even though it doesn’t look like an authentic gringa, It is highly recommended for meat lovers like Alice. She loved the gringa because of its rich taste of cheese.
Price: $6.50
How does Tacofino work?
The most popular online platform that Tacofino uses to promote their brand is directly through their website. It is designed neatly with different sections based on every location of food trucks and restaurants.
You can reach them through Instagram as well. With 2,106 posts and 42.3 thousand followers, tacofinolovesyou is the official account of Tacofino where they update their stories regularly. The average interaction of every post is approximately 500 to 1000 likes and comments. It is clearly seen that Tacofino takes the most advantage of social media to increase their recognition and connect with their loyal customers. The hashtag #tacofino also supports them to raise interactions and get feedback from their guests.
Because it is located in front of The Yellow Dog Brewery, people can buy some tacos outside and bring them inside to enjoy with beer and other drinks. The Rocky Point Park is close, this is an advantage for Tacofino to capture people’s attention.
Besides selling food, Tacofino also participates in artwork production. They are taking advantage of their creativity with the theme influence from Mexico combined with a modern vibe and turned it into a unique style that fits many items including T-shirts, hats, masks, gift cards, and décor flower vases. This effective way of brand marketing reminds customers of Tacofino. The brand image can be quickly covered through fashion style and pattern and it is easier to approach people who have similar trends. In the future, Tacofino could easily update their new outlook without causing too much confusion as long as they keep the Mexican influence style as their background.
This is all you have to know about food trucks and Tacofino; we had a blast working on this review and we hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it for you. If you are hesitant about trying food from a truck, we recommend you to start with Tacofino and you will not be disappointed.