Reel Mac and Cheese, the name might be confused for real mac and cheese but it is actually reel, the reel used in movies. The food truck follows a movie and cinema theme, hence the name Reel Mac and cheese.
Reel Mac and Cheese. The name might be confused for real mac and cheese but it is actually reel, the reel used in movies. The food truck follows a movie and cinema theme, hence the name Reel mac and cheese. We chose this food truck because we love cheese and what can be more cheesy and creamy like mac and cheese?
On the first look itself, we could notice the truck among the rest since it was painted like mac and cheese, the truck was yellow, had many pictures and stickers of mac and cheese, movie characters, and a Hollywood vibe. The truck was very clean, the menus items were clear and the staff was friendly and cheerful. The food was cooked with fresh ingredients on the truck and they use seven different types of gourmet cheese. They also use a special secret spice that makes them different from any other mac and cheese. Other than mac and cheese, they also serve three varieties of hotdogs.
The Menu
The concept of the menu is dishes are in reference to Hollywood films and celebrities. The menu follows exactly how the theme of the truck is being designed. Listed below will be titles of dishes as well as a brief description:
The Main Event Godzilla
Classic macaroni and cheese. Japanese style macaroni and cheese
With seven different cheese. topped with nori, teriyaki sauce, and Japanese mayo.
The Green Mile Some Like It Hot
Classic Macaroni and cheese Classic macaroni and cheese
Topped with cooked broccoli topped with banana peppers,
and onions cayenne pepper, chili flakes, Frank’s red hot and crispy onions.
Meat The Parents Jurassic Pork
Classic Macaroni and cheese. Classic Macaroni and cheese
Topped with bacon, slices of topped with pulled pork and
beef hot dog, toasted panko, crispy onions
and parmesan.
Snoop Dogg Kevin Bacon
Classic macaroni and cheese. Classic macaroni and cheese
Topped with slices of beef hot topped with bacon bits, toasted
dog, toasted panko, and parmesan. Panko and parmesan
Add ons: Bacon, sliced hot dog, and blue cheese
Kids Option
Classic mac and cheese,
Apple juice, and cookies.
Concept of truck design
The food truck follows an old Hollywood theme with an old movie reel and vintage sign as the logo. The truck is brightly colored all around with orange and yellows and a mac and cheese picture borders the bottom of the truck. Around the truck are black and white photos of famous celebrities like Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, and more. The concept is old-time Hollywood.
Service experience, taste, and presentation
The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu, they welcomed us with a wide smile. One member worked the till and organized orders while the other members cooked and handed out the food. The service was quick, and the staff was working hard to get everyone’s order out in a timely manner.
We tried the Jurrasic Pork and Kevin Bacon Mac and cheese, these were the recommendations made by the staff so we gave it a go! It was really yummy, the flavors of the cheese and bacon did stand out. The food was served hot and we could see the melted cheese and the quantity was filling for a person. Usually, mac and cheese would look sloppy and boring but this one came as a surprise, it was loaded with toppings of fried meat, bacon, and onions. The presentation looked exactly like the photos and came out piping hot! It was freshly made and tasted amazing. The homemade macaroni and cheese blend was creamy and delicious.
Ownership and management
The truck is owned by Mr. Perry Poudrier and his wife Suzanne Poudrier, they have been running the truck for more than nine years. He has a wonderful team that looks after the operations under his supervision. There are no chefs as such, the menu and its recipe have been designed by Perry and his wife.
The food served here is labeled gourmet as the cheese and meat were acquired from a local farm in Victoria, BC. Perry gets the ingredients himself. The truck is parked and loaded at a central kitchen in Surrey where the truck is the pre-preps like cooking the are done. The truck is loaded and the mac and cheese are made fresh to order by the staff.
Marketing trends, Trends, and Sustainability
They don’t have any mission statement nor a marketing slogan, the logo and the design of the truck itself make the theme and idea of the truck clear. Since all dishes are named after Hollywood movies or celebrities, Reel mac and cheese had introduced a promotion where a customer buys a mac and cheese named after their favorite movie and watches the movie having the mac and cheese and posts a picture on social media. This brought in good attention from movie lovers, and many had given suggestions for a new mac and cheese named after their favorite movie.
They mostly don’t adapt to the new trends in the food industry, they rarely change their menu and add new items on the menu. They carefully monitor the taste preference and liking of the customers, for example, they had an Indian spiced mac and cheese on their menu, but most of the customers didn’t like the fact that their mac and cheese was spicy, so Perry had to eliminate that from his menu.
They use paper containers to serve the food and provides wooden forks. These are recyclable hence maintaining sustainability and a helping hand for a greener environment.
Overall Experience
It was very fun and exciting to meet each other and participate in this group assignment. The experience was fun and cheese-filled, it made us change our perception of food trucks. It was clean and the staff was very helpful and friendly. The owner was kind enough to allow us to ask them some questions to help us with our project. Personally, we loved the concept of the truck and the overall design of it. It is very detailed, and the menu speaks for itself as it goes well with the concept of the truck. We will be going to this food truck again if we ever see it at any future events we attend.
Website: http://www.reelmacandcheese.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelmacandcheese/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reelmacandcheese/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/REELMacCheese
Presented by: Breanne O’Grady, Kailas Sivaraj, Phuong Tran